Today is the day

We arrived in Maryland on Tuesday. The kids and I picked Aunt Janet up at 4:00 at the airport in Baltimore and arrived at Yvonne's home around 5pm. I've been preparing his slide show. My sisters also gave me some photos to add to it. If you want to see it, click here - Maurice's slide show. The pastor shared a video of Maurice's last sermon (summer of 2012). I am not sure how to share that here. If you want to receive it, just send me an email. I have to admit I cannot wait until this day is over. I wrote a sort of a eulogy last Friday and posted it on my blog, but yesterday I wrote the actual eulogy that I plan to give today. My dad, Wendy, and a few of his friends are also giving eulogies so I tried to be as brief as possible. I will paste below what I plan to say today. Praying I can get through it without crying. I got almost no sleep last night, which means that I am struggling today not only physically but also emotionally. I'll be grieving the loss of my brother for many days, weeks, months, and years to come, but tomorrow I want to turn my attention to other things such as doing some work for the university. Originally the kids were scheduled to be at a pottery class from 9:30-11:30 this morning. Instead we'll be at my brother's viewing and funeral. Although I've known for a full week, I still can't believe it is true that my brother is no longer with us here on earth.

"I had the privilege of being Maurice’s oldest sister. When I think over my childhood, I cannot think of any event that brought me more joy than Maurice’s birth. I dearly love my sisters, but I don’t remember their births. I was almost twelve years old when Maurice joined our family. From the moment Dad told us that Mom was having a baby, I was thrilled beyond belief and couldn’t wait to hold him in my arms. I already had a very strong desire to be a mother some day at that age and was a sort of second mother to Maurice. He even called me mommy when he was very young. I have so much I would like to say about my beloved brother, but for the sake of time I am limiting myself to three attributes. 

First, Maurice was extremely creative. When he was a toddler, all you had to do was give him a Kleenex. He would sit quietly in church or pass the time on a long car ride if he had a Kleenex. He would move the tissue in all different directions as he imagined a story. This creativity was expressed in many different ways over his life such as role playing games with his friends, his art work, drama, and imaginary play with his nieces and nephews. When we cleaned out his apartment this weekend, Wendy and I saw tissues strewn all over his desk. He still fiddled with them at the age of thirty-five.

Second, Maurice was brilliant. When he was three-years-old we were blown away when we realized he could read the Bible and the Washington Post. He had taught himself how to read. When he was five-years-old, he would ask me every day what I had learned in my college classes that day. My chemistry course was the one that interested him the most. At the age of five, he comprehended the content of my chemistry class in college. When he was six years old, he wrote me lengthy letters on college ruled notebook paper – sometimes in German. Maurice had a vast knowledge of a very diverse set of subjects. He asked for my assistance in helping pick which classes he should take at Penn, and again I was amazed at how diverse his studies are. 

Third, Maurice was compassionate. He loved with a fierce love. He deeply cared about animals and the environment. He cultivated and maintained many deep relationships with friends and family members. He was a great listener and extremely empathetic. He loved not just with words but with actions. As we were packing up the U-Haul to move in August, one of his friends made a comment about his leather jacket, and he gave it to her on the spot. Last month I was really upset about something, and he asked me if I wanted him to take the bus to my house so he could be with me. In hindsight I wish I had accepted his offer, but I had a respiratory bug at the time, which he avoided like the plague due to his sleep apnea and breathing issues. I knew he had my back 100%, and although I thanked him for that, it meant more to me than I think he’ll ever know.

He loved our mom very, very much, and I know he really, really missed her the last 2 ½ years. I am eternally grateful for the knowledge that my brother is in Glory with our mom. I am going to miss Maurice and my mom every day of my life here on earth, but someday I will be reunited with them. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come."