When we chose to name the Blenheim Community Funeral Home, we wanted to recognize the strong and important role that communities play when someone dies. It’s not just one person or a group of staff who make a difference when a death occurs; rather it’s a collection of people, from family to friends to neighbours to co-workers and people from other communities in your life who make the strongest impact. So many times after a funeral we take time to think about the events that occurred during the past few days and we realize just how awesome our communities are.
Recently I was very touched by a number of people whose concern and support was very evident; people who put the needs of a grieving family before their own. To John & Gloria Boswell, to friends and neighbours in Shrewsbury, to Jeanette Steen of Lasting Memories, to Melissa Doyle of Casting Memories, to Pastor Eric Revie and to everyone at Glad Tidings Community Church, I want to extend my personal thank you for your kind gestures. To Bill Vermeersch, Principal of Harwich-Raleigh Public School and to all of the teachers who came to the Funeral Home and to the Church, thank you. The fact that you stayed at the Funeral Home to be with the students who just graduated from your school, to talk with them and make sure that they were okay may have been the greatest lesson that you ever taught them…that you will always care. To Sheldon’s classmates and friends…thank you for being you. I was pleased that you decided to sit together in the church. Not only did your presence give support to a grieving family but it showed that you are supportive of each other…don’t ever lose that. To everyone who sent in condolences to the family…thank you. I know that some of you may not have known Sheldon but you identified with the loss of a child and wanted to support his parents. I’m sure his parents will pay that gesture forward someday too.
