Death

Today we are here to celebrate the life of Elva Zamora.  One thing that I would like to discuss today is carrying life to death can be a long road and I think that we can all appreciate that.  However, there are far worse things in life than death and joys that can never really be explained in the human tongue.

Born moment before the poorest time in America; when bread lines were a thing of the future and jobs were a thing of the past.  During her tween years, before they were called as such, the world was changed by a war that involved everyone and sparred little life for the pursuit of happiness and freedom.  And what is funny now, is that because of these life events, for as long as I can remember my grandmother always had a jar of leftover grease from cooking.  Even though there was always a bucket of Crisco just waiting to be used.

As a registered nurse she began a career of saving lives and traveling the country while slowing growing a family in tow.  It is this generation, my mother's generation, that really begins this story for me.  And I must say having a trained nurse as a mother because some of the things that these wild kids accomplished was totally unacceptable.

And there was the day that the gun jammed, thereby prolonging today's events and leaving room for knives in the future.

Grandchildren came along and what a joy that must have been.  Although of you could have clearly waited, or picked a better partner, nonetheless here we are all. In a room together, somewhat scary really.

She even had the chance to meet some great grandchildren.  And so through times of war both abroad and in the home, nursing, motherhood, tornadoes, guns, high school graduations, college graduations, successful military careers (others just beginning), becoming comfortable in your own skin, all of us here are proof positive that through tragedy, the impression left upon all of us by her can still bring about joy.  Through the first football games, the first night sleeping in a car, Thanksgivings and beans for the rest.  Through all the shit that is life it is clearly easy to see that there are much worse things to suffer through than death.

UNEDITED AND UNPROOFED