Today I had the privilege of participating in a graveside funeral service for Indigent and Abandoned Persons of Lewis and Clark County. Eleven individuals (ten men and one woman) were honored. Various members of the community participated, sharing readings and then speaking the names. A local native drum group played. I played my flute. It was a powerful and sobering experience. Perhaps the most moving part for me was that fact that more than fifty people showed up to pay their respects. The individuals we buried came to the end of the lives without family around them. But honor and respect were offered in this final farewell. I came away from the experience wanting to be more aware of ways I can reach out to touch the lives of those living on the edges, even if only to acknowledge their existence in a respectful way. We are all connected, and yet all too often I forget to notice. May I remember more often.
