What I Said About My Mom

What follows here is what I got up and read on Tuesday night at the funeral home directly after the rosary for my mom. I wrote this with no issues, no thoughts. And it flowed out of me without any problems....although I had a back-up reader in case I couldn't read it. :)

Hi. I am Carrie and Stan's oldest daughter, Jennifer.

Thank you for coming out to support our family. It is much appreciated.

Wow. If the number of people we have talked with in the past few days and today is any indication, you all recognized that Carrie was a really genuine good person. I knew that. And so did our dad, my sisters, brother, our spouses, all of the grandkids, our grandparents, Carrie's siblings, in-laws and the extended family members sitting up here in these first rows. But to hear from all of the people who I didn't realize thought so highly of my mom is incredible. And I'm very thankful to hear those words. So very very thankful.

We all know the saying "everything in life I need to know I learned in kindergarten". I'm changing that as of tonight to "everything in life I need to know I learned from my mom". Now, bear with me here. Many of us realize my mom was a "collector". In other words....she was our family's pack rat. She didn't spend time cleaning and organizing. But she did spend time with people.....lots of people. She always said, "oh, it'll be there tomorrow" to my dad as the laundry and dishes waited for her as she was jumping in the car to head to Grandparent's night. Or a baseball game for Maverick. Or getting into the truck to head to the campgrounds with dad. Or a dance recital for Lily. Or to her sister's house for a couple of days while her sister recuperated from surgery. That was our mom, dad's wife. A dirty house with a full heart.

I hope that my house is dirty and my heart is overflowing when I leave this life. My mom taught me that and I'll live it every day and maybe each of you can just a little too.

In closing this I want to leave you with the words of my five year old daughter, Allison Carrie Ingman.

"Mom, I know Grandma can't talk to me. But she'll never vanish from my heart."