The Incredibly Wonderful Irene…..

Today I attended the funeral of Irene Lamping. I spent as much time in her house as I did my own. My friend Cindy was her daughter and many thought she was my sister (As did I). The funeral was everything Irene wanted, she planned it and it was orchestrated without a hitch. I’m sure she was delighted while viewing it from above.

However this isn’t about how wonderful the funeral was (which it was), it is about how wonderful the woman was. (Wonderful was one of her favorite words.) She was kind, loving, fun, friendly, I should say extremely friendly, for everyone she met was her new friend. She had this incredible energy that made you just want to sit with her. There were times I would stop by just to say hi and stay for hours. It was hard to leave she made you feel so welcomed.

Being a mom was her career choice and she had ten kids to prove she loved her job. I don’t think there is anything else she would have done if given the opportunity. To tell you the truth, I’m sure she felt that being a mother was her calling and she worked very hard doing it right. She was everything you could want in a mom and her children were everything to her. She was an amazing example for motherhood.

However what I loved most about Irene was her ability to love without condition. She loved you just because she did. She accepted people warts and all treating them as if they were perfect. Being around Irene you wanted to be a better person and she made you feel like you already were.

It is hard to say goodbye to someone who gave back more than they ever took and who made the world a better place just by being in it. My words fall short in expressing my feelings about her. I can only say how grateful I am for knowing Irene and that my life has been greatly enriched because of her. (Pink was her favorite color.)