Saturday, August 8, 2015

A Quaker Memorial

We have just returned from a trip to Maryland. The purpose of the trip was to attend a memorial service for a family member. The beloved was a birthright Quaker. This small meeting house and cemetery stand on ground his family donated. Generations of his family are buried there. 


The name Gunpowder is for the nearby Gunpowder River and Gunpowder Falls.


I have never attended a more meaningful memorial. In the Quaker tradition, individuals took turns speaking from their place. About a hundred family members, friends, co-workers and colleagues continued this for two hours and each person's tributes were valued and savored. Some were sad and others were humorous. People had gathered from across our nation (from Oregon to Chicago to Florida) to honor and remember this special man who had touched each of our lives in some lasting way. We were all blessed to have known him and all who attended were blessed by the gathering.



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