It was finally here. The weekend I had been dreading for a month. The weekend we would make our way to Hattiesburg, MS to say good-bye to Papa, Theodore Roosevelt Schultz, my hero, and my best friend.
Friday.
Began at 4 a.m. I got up, showered, and then packed while Vince got Bella up, fed her and then took care of all the animals. We left the house at 6, and headed to the airport to catch our 8:30 flight. We had a small layover in Atlanta, and my cousin, Alex, was on our second flight to Gulfport. My Mom picked us all up at 11:30, and off to Hattiesburg we went. We were home long enough to eat a little something, change clothes, and wait for everyone else to arrive, before heading to the funeral home at 5:30 for the visitation. Thankfully, it was a closed casket, so it made the 2 hours there a lot more bearable. Instead of people gawking at Papa, they spent time in the front room watching a DVD of photos of him throughout his life, and discussing fond memories. Jordan and I sat together for a long time crying and consoling one another. Out of the 4 grandkids, she got to see Papa the least during his last few months, and she was having a really hard time with it. By 8:30, we were all back at Papa's house eating a catered meal that turned out to be quite awful. Poor Uncle Randy, he was trying to do something nice by having our dinner catered so we wouldn't have to worry about it, and it really was pretty gross. Honestly though, it gave us all a good laugh, and something else to focus on if only for a few minutes. After dinner, the guys all hung in the living room watching sports, and the ladies sat around the kitchen table drinking wine and enjoying conversation. It was really nice, and I gotta say, Sarah fits very nicely into our crazy little family <3 Around 10, the Schultz family headed to where they were staying for the night, and the rest of us cleaned up the kitchen and went to bed because Saturday was going to be a long day for all of us.
Saturday.
Bella woke up at 5:15, which is really 6:15 her time, but still it was way too early. I finally got up with her at 6, made her some breakfast, and then tried to fall back asleep on the couch for a bit while she ate her cereal and watched Jake and the Neverland Pirates. By 7, the whole house was up and beginning shower rotation. My Mom left at 8 to head to the funeral home, and the rest of us followed and arrived at 9:30. I ended up choosing not to speak. I knew I wouldn't be able to do it, not in front of so many people anyway. I had a private eulogy between myself and Papa on my own terms by our fire pit in the backyard, but more on that another time. Back to where I was... At 10 a.m., the funeral began. Andrew, Alex, my Uncle Horace (Papa's youngest brother), Pete (One of Papa's best friends), and 2 other gentlemen were the poll bearers, and when they wheeled in the coffin, everything became very real, and very final. A few people spoke before we got to the family remembrances and once those began I didn't stop crying until noon. My Mom went first and I couldn't be more proud of her eulogy. I was in awe of her strength alone, being able to stand confidently in front of her Dad and deliver her speech without breaking down once and with a peaceful smile on her face. She truly amazed me because throughout it, Jordan and I sat hugging each other and just letting it all out. I'm sure we looked quite pitiful to anyone that could see us. Next my Uncle Randy spoke, and poor thing, he was really emotional and torn up. This has hit him really hard. Andrew went last because he always is able to make us laugh. His speech was touching/hilarious/sweet/perfect all rolled into one. My little brother really has a knack for these kind of things, and I was so moved by what he said in honor of our Papa. We ended the service singing "Amazing Grace" all together, and it was at that moment that I could feel both of my Grandparents smiling down on us. It was beautiful.
After the service, Aunt Doris took Vince and Bella back to Papa's house, and the rest of us got ready for the 2 hour trek to Grovehill, AL for the burial. Papa grew up in Grovehill, his parents are buried in the same cemetery, and 2 of his siblings still live nearby. When we arrived, I noticed the 3 soldiers standing near the coffin. Papa was a WWII Veteran, so he could request "Taps" be played at his funeral since he was in the military, and I gotta say they did an amazing job. It was probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Once everyone arrived, the pastor did a small reading and then prayed. Next, one soldier played "Taps" on a trumpet, and then they preformed the flag folding ceremony at the end of which, they presented the flag to my Uncle Randy. It was really a heart felt moment. Once it was over, everyone got up to mingle a bit more, and I just remained seated where I was for a bit longer just staring at the coffin wondering if what was happening was really real or not. When I finally blinked, I looked down and saw my Grandmother's headstone. It made me remember that they are together now, at peace, and happy, and it made me smile. I then got up, walked over to the funeral spray, took out a single red rose, smelled it, kissed it, and then placed it on Papa's coffin. I kissed it one last time and said my last good-bye. Hardest.thing.ever. The next 15 minutes were spent hugging necks, and kissing cheeks good-bye. My Aunt, Uncle and Jordan all were headed back to Atlanta, Andrew and Sarah to Houston, and my Mom, me and Alex back to Hattiesburg. Promises have been made though to get together for part of the Thanksgiving holiday, and I think that would be a really wonderful thing for my family. We need that. Anyway, we were back home by 5:30, we ordered pizza from Mellow Mushroom for dinner, and then we all went to bed early because 3 a.m. would be here before we knew it.
Sunday.
By 3:30 a.m. we were in the car and headed back to Gulfport. All of us and Alex had flights to catch at 6, and it was hard to leave my Mom at the airport, I'm not going to lie. She doesn't get to go home until early Tuesday morning because she has a few more things to take care of before she can leave. Alex bought us breakfast/coffee, and I thought that was so sweet. I am so proud of the man he growing up to be. Our flight left before his, so we gave hugs one last time, before boarding our plane. We were home by 1, and at 2:30 I laid down and took a 4 hour nap. I so needed it.
Now I will leave you with this. A picture of my favorite pair of Papa's jeans. He patched them himself, that's the best part. :), and a little something from my brother...
"Yesterday we said goodbye to a true renaissance man. After serving USA in WWII he spent 40 years barnstorming Africa, picked up a PhD, cared for his wife, painted every house in Mississippi (including Brett Favre's), and treated his grandkids like royalty. I'll miss his phone calls and the constant teasing we threw at each other. Goodbye for now my friend."
Rest in Peace Papa. Until we meet again.
