ANOTHER SORTA WAKE-KEEP....

Arrived after a particularly harrowing time of it with air travel. I hoped some of it would be bearable but I knew a lot of it would not be good. How wrong could I be? Or was I just too hopeful? I wanted it to just not be as painful as it was turning out to be is all. Anyway, my big sister and I got some, maybe two minutes of solitude before it all went south. First, our brother called and we all tried for somber and then Daddy called and we just gave up trying. Not sure who giggled first but we both looked up guiltily, as if someone would prosecute. Then our 'Aunty mi' called and we gave in and all had a laugh. No-one could have predicted what would come next. We laughed, laughed and laughed.......Every new thing was a new memory and a new set of laughs. First, it was just sis and I revelling in the fact that she had lived well and contrary to what most other people knew, she had enjoyed life to the fullest extent. Watching us as we ran last minute errands to ensure her 'celebration' went well and that we had enough to take care of the tons of people she was expecting from out-of-state, you would be forgiven if you assumed we had just won the lottery and were having a celebratory blast, or maybe we were long-lost friends who were hooking up with each other again after a really long time and were BFF. But in reality, we were just two sad daughters whose mum had passed in her prime after a long drawn out unusual duel with cancer that the judge is still out on who won. She was diagnosed a while back, a long while back and she had recieved treatment over that long period. For a disease that usually debilitated its victims, she had received life thereafter it seems, taking up a new career and doing very well at it and then when she felt she had had a good time, she said, no more. This is not the life I want to keep living. We acquiesced, cos in my family, we pride ourselves on respecting personal opinions and chose to support her. The doctors said six months and she said, No,I'll let you know when. I must stop and give praise to whom it is due. The One who was, who is and is to come. Some people are skeptical about the existence of God and deride what He is able to accomplish. They did not know my mum. God was so real to her, she faced everything with her hand in His and smiled becos she believed Him. She seemed deluded to some who do not have the same level of faith and fanatic to the casual believer. He alone deserves the praise for 'great things He did, and is doing'. Anyway, before i get distracted, lemme get back to telling you about her awesome wake. No one planned anything. We were secure enough in the knowledge of how we wanted to remember her to not have  a need to display for anyone's benefit and so we just planned what we felt was necessary and rolled with it. But people came, from, Baltimore,Canada,Michigan, and all around and we sat down and looked at pictures and laughed and laughed and laughed. At some point, someone set up a recording device and when i watched it, i shook my head. Who are these people celebrating? is the question that came to mind and the immediate answer is, my awesome mum. And I trust she would have it no other way for she was not regular like that and neither are we. Passing by the house, you would be forgiven for assuming a party was going on, for that's what it was. A celebration of life. I thought I would feel pain but no, i was reminded of a thousand reasons to give thanks. We searched for photos and we found very few of hers but loads of her children, grandchildren and other children, young and not so young. She thrived being there for people and I now understand why i always felt she did not have enough love for me. She had a capacity that transcended her children and makes it easy for her to be available to anyone who needed her. So today when we do a service to honor her and put her body/vehicle in the earth, I ma be looking forward to when I go over if Jesus tarries and if not, looking out for her when He returns. Rest well, Elizabeth Iyabo.......

With Gratitude to God for a life well spent but with submission to the perfect will of God, we announce the call to glory of our dear wife, grand mother, mother, aunt and sister, Elizabeth Idowu, on Friday January 13, 2012.
Mrs. Elizabeth Iyabo Idowu 1949 - 2012	Funeral Arrangements January 27, 2012 1:00 pm Interment at Eastlawn Cemetery 1401 Woodland Avenue Columbus, OH. 43219 ********* January 27, 2012  2:30 pm Service of Songs St. Andrews Episcopal Church 8630 Refugee Road, Pickerington, OH. 43147 ****** A reception will follow the service *********