This is the third part in a series, so if you have not already done so, you might want to read Part I and Part II before continuing.
Reading from Father Lightwood at the Funeral of Sheila Buckton
We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Sheila Buckton. Sheila never married, and had no family, but she was beloved by her friends, her neighbors, and her colleagues.
We can learn so much from Sheila about how to live a fulfilling life. As a motherless spinster, she found meaning in devoting her time and energy to the people who were in her life, rather than dwelling on that which was missing.
We know Sheila loved her job because she worked long and hard at it. Her coworkers knew her as the dependable one. The one you could rely on to help finish a project, or take over if you needed to get home to your kids before the babysitter left. Not only will we miss her smile, her easygoing nature, but we’ll miss her willingness to offer assistance, no matter what the challenge.
Outside of work, Sheila volunteered at her local animal shelter, where the animals loved her as much as the staff and other volunteers loved her. There, too, she was known for her generous spirit: Always the first to show up and the last to go home. Always ready to pick up the slack when a dog hadn’t been walked, or a mailing needed to go out.
She helped out here at the church, too. Bringing meals to elderly members of the church, organizing the soup kitchen, staying after services to help clean up. She was an invaluable member of this congregation and there is no denying that her absence has already been felt, and will continue to be felt for a long time to come.
Finally, her neighbors knew they could rely on her to lend a helping hand whenever they needed it. She looked after their pets, babysat their children, watered their plants. No job was ever too small for Sheila. Whatever needed doing, whether at the office, at the shelter, or at home, she was there with a helping hand. And it is as that helping hand that she will be remembered. As someone who was always willing to help lighten your load.
In a way, it’s both a tragedy and a blessing that she never married. A tragedy, because she would have made a wonderful partner to any man. But his loss was our gain. We got the benefit of the extra time Sheila would otherwise have devoted to a husband and children, and for that we will be eternally grateful.
The end.