It had been blowing all week, what many people unused to such wind would call 'gale force'. If I were inclined to such thoughts I'd say it was for Cathy's sake that the wind blew in grief and then stopped on the day of her funeral. Coincidence or not it made her committal service at the cemetery more bearable.
She was only 57, wife, mother, grandmother and our foster daughter. She was only 15 when she came to live with us in 1971. Mature, wise beyond her years, very intelligent and beautiful she was a joy to have in our home. I underestimated her from the first time I met her when she was a 9th grader.
Cathy married at age 17, and, as her legal guardian, I had to sign for her. That was hard for me to do. However, she pointed out that she was the first in her family to finish high school. Years later there was little doubt that her own children (Kimberly & Derek) would go to college.
She married well to stable, hardworking, smart, Tim who is also filled with common sense. Cathy loved to ride with Tim on HER motorcycle...she paid for it! All summer she'd hoped to go riding but was too weak to get on. So, Tim gave her her last ride strapping the urn holding her ashes to the motorcycle for the ride from the church to the cemetery.
First diagnosed with cancer in 2001, she had good times and many bad. She died as she had lived with courage, dignity, wisdom and faith. When we were visiting her last July she was going through her clothes. In her matter of fact style she told us "I'm packing to die."
May God bless the memory of Cathy May.
