The Anchor Holds

The Anchor holds, though the ship is battered.

The Anchor holds, though the sails are torn.

I have fallen, fallen down on my knees

as I faced the raging seas.

But the Anchor holds; O, in spite of the storm.

The farm

We laid Grandma to rest yesterday, and it was an emotional roller coaster.  The church was filled to the eaves; there were even people sitting in the prayer room.  There were so many friends and family members there, a testament to what my grandmother was to her community.  She was an active church member, an advocate for abused children through CASA, and was known for never saying an unkind word about anyone.  It was so neat to hear from her youngest brother about her love for horses and how she wrote poetry, how she and Grandpa endured three years of floods that ruined their crops but persevered to move and start a dairy farm to make a living.

During the funeral, my cousin AV sang the song 'Blessings' by Laura Story, and we all listened to one of Grandma's favorite hymns, the chorus of which appears above.  When I heard it, I turned to my cousin MS, who sat beside me through Grandpa's funeral, and said, "She was the anchor."  And it's true; she was the glue that held us all together.  I'm not a church-going person, and I don't know if I believe in heaven or salvation, but it comforts me to know that Grandma is with Grandpa now, especially today, on his birthday.

I miss my Grandma tremendously, and I worry about the future for our extended family.  Will we see each other for holidays, without her hearth to gather around?  I just don't know at this point.  I'm glad that I could see everyone, and thankful for the amazing foods prepared by the people of the Lyons community.  Paula Deen's got nothing on those ladies!  I'm lucky to have had such wonderful grandparents and been a part of such a tight-knit family.