Honor Nancy!
I asked the family if they wanted me to speak at the funeral…i said that i would. However being the newest member of the LaCoste/Kuhlmeier family i knew that i drew the short straw, but i look at it as a honor. A honor to talk about a beautiful lady with a warm and loving heart. Now, i do not know Nancy like most of you do, but i wish that i could roll back time and of meet here during her prime years. but during this past week i have been the keeper of some of the photos that some of you have sent to the family in remembrance of Nancy and have listened to the stories from those pictures. And some of them are priceless and beautiful and i want to say thank you for that. thank you for sharing a little piece of Nancy with me. I would like to thank everyone for being here to remember and honor Nancy and im sure each of you has a little memory or story about her. But i would like everyone to think of a (1) word, an adjective that that describes Nancy. The first word that comes to your mind that describes her. I will give you a minute…….. If your word comes up please raise your hands…. 1. Kind/loving 2. Fun loving / friendly 3. Classy/cheeky/charming 4. Tender-hearted/ sweet/ thoughtful 5. Flirtatious? Thank you! so we can all agree that Nancy was a great all around person. I know that talking to her children. Jim, Carrie and Jenni. They shared a saying about their mother. And that saying is “change your attitude” and as we think about those 3 words i can only think to the women that said them and the attitude that she had going into each day. Growing up with 3 little hooligans and 3 siblings and Rich, I’m sure it was trying at its best. But the attitude to walk the walk and have a positive outlook and be aware of the shadow that she cast by saying that she had to be in the right attitude. And that just shows what kind of women Nancy truly was. This past week, Nancy and her family has been on my mind and in my prayers and i sometime take the time in my busy schedule to look for signs….. these signs can be little or big but i call them God signs, that let me know that God is here and that God is in control. If you’re like me, you’ve had countless occasions in your life when you wanted God to speak to you, but He seemed deafeningly silent. And I wouldn’t be surprised if, like me, your frustration has boiled over more than once, waiting for a response that never seems to come. And although — in a moment of overwhelming frustration and desperation — I once directly asked God to give me a burning bush moment (not surprisingly, He didn’t), mostly I just waited impatiently for an answer. Maybe you’re there right now. Praying for clear direction — a vision, a dream, or a word — so you can know exactly what to do. And waiting, waiting, waiting for an answer that doesn’t come. Unfortunately, you may wait forever. Because God often doesn’t respond the way you want or expect. So you miss Him altogether, then mistakenly think He’s ignoring you. Or perhaps God is trying to get your attention, but you keep missing the ways that He’s speaking to you. The morning that Nancy passed i was at work waiting for Jenni to call me after a call from her sister Carrie earlier that morning. I was not expecting that it was going to be at 7:15 during a staff meeting but who does expect that call anyway. However, when i got there i embraced Carrie, Rich and Jenni. As we sat there sharing stories or just being together with Nancy, and during that time i noticed that Rich had a new phone and i asked rich if he needed help with setting anything up or updating anything on his new iphone, which happened to be Nancy’s phone. Being a I-phone user myself, i graciously obliged to helping him with some settings and clearing out some text messages and voice messages. During that time…….the voice messages indicated that he obviously needed to extended his car warranty and have additional health care coverage. After deleting 28 voice mails i was down to the final two…. Which were labeled MOM and after being in the phone for however many years this was our first GOD SIGN. Please listen….. So, Is God speaking to you? take some time during your busy schedule and look around for little signs….either a cardinal coming to greet you at your window in the early spring months…or just out of the blue coincidences that catch your when your not expecting it like it did for us on February 28th. I remember the first time that i meet Nancy. I was nervous to meet both Nancy and Rich. But then found out as Jenni and i pulled in the drive way that there was not only Nancy and Rich……………………but the whole dang family was there. Yup, i was nervous!!!!! In fact before we even went in i made the comment that I’m sure most of you would do……….. we can only stay for an hour. Well, that hour grew to 2 then to 3 hours. And as i sat there in the hot seat getting questions from the family, I looked over at Nan and there she was……….all googly eyed and winking at me. i thought it was sweet and loving and kind of flirtatious. I loved it. not only did i love it, i adored it. it was a direct representation of who she was and what I want to say thank you Nancy for loving me and getting to know you a little. i want to say thank you Nancy for your children, your family and your husband rich for accepting me into your family as your own. This is a true testament of what the Kuhlmeier family is and the values of what you were raised in. As i leave i have a message for Jenni, Carrie, and Jim. This is a poem (author unknown) A Mothers Farewell to Her Children When i must leave you for a little while, please do not grieve and shed wild tears and hug your sorrow to you though the years, But start out bravely with a gallant smile; And for my sake and in my name, Live on and do all things the same, Feed not your loneliness on empty days, But fill each waking hour in useful ways, Reach out your hand in comfort and in cheer. And in turn will comfort you and hold you near; And never, never be afraid to die, for i am waiting for you in the sky! And as Nancy would say….when your down and out: “change your attitude!!!!!! Nancy, i hope that we have honored you and loved you as you have loved us. I hope that you are dancing and doing all the accounting for all those that need to be checked. I hope that you have the dance floor worn out for our arrival for when that day comes to join you, and that you will be there excitingly but patiently waiting for each us to come and show us the around. i hope that each passing day gets better for Rich and her family! I hope that you can find the time to give us moments to laugh and to give us our God Sign to show us that you are near and doing OK. I HOPE!