Funeral and wrestling practice

February 8th


Edna Pearson's funeral was held yesterday morning. I ended up leading the singing (we sang some of her favorite songs). Not the easiest song-leading I've ever done, trying to lead a group of people, half of whom can hardly keep from crying, half of whom don't know the song at all, and all without a piano or anything to keep us on pitch. Notwithstanding all that, the service went well. Edna's great-grandaughters sang a duet, and one played the flute (Edna really loved music -- shucks, I shouldn't put that in the past tense -- I'm positive she still does.) Our deacon, Ron Biller, did a superb job of eulogizing, including a poem that he'd written himself the night before. Dr. Stagno always seems to have the right words for any occasion, and he did again. Those who did not know the gospel heard it clearly and gently. I suspect Edna was pleased by the service.

Anna was present both for the viewing Monday and the funeral Tuesday, but didn't really grasp what was going on. The body in the open casket rather confused her, so we tried to keep her away from it and keep to a minimum the loud and inappropriate remarks that toddlers are so good at providing. It was hard on both my wife and Anna, since both of them were close to the whole family.

Yesterday afternoon I went to wrestling practice for the first time in at least a couple of months. All I've really got to say is, "Ouch." I'm getting older, and those kids are getting tougher. Two or three months off was plenty for me to lose my conditioning almost completely; a few little running excursions just don't keep you in shape like steady wrestling will. I wound up paired up with an up-and-coming kid who won his weight at the event Sunday. We wrestled pretty much two entire college-length matches. I was rusty but okay for the first half or so of the first match. After that, it was just my experience trying to stave off his energetic abuse. Like I said, "Ouch." I've got to get back out there regularly and get back in shape.