A life celebrated

Mercy; such a beautiful and inspiring woman gone far too soon. I hadn’t known her long but she made an impact immediately and will be remembered always.

An emotional day filled with prayer, songs, tears, laughter and memories shared. It was loud and at times overwhelming, particularly for some of the children that had not experienced such an occasion.
Anya chose to sit with Ethan. She left my side, where we had sat at the edge of the church and went straight over to the family, skipped through and squeezed in next to Ethan. I watched as she put her arm around his shoulders and whispered into his ear. She stayed with him for most of the service, occasionally getting up to dance to the music. I did bring her back to me when the family were sharing their personal memories but Ethan asked for her to come back, taking her by the hand and inviting her back to his seat between his Dad and Grandparents.
They sat together throughout and I was touched by Anya’s ability to empathise and comfort in such an unfamiliar situation.

The family were comforted by their steadfast belief and faith and this was unbelievable to see; so much strength and positivity in such a terribly sad situation.
They thanked us for coming and, after worrying that Anya might have been a bit over zealous with her affection towards Ethan, they were extremely grateful and thanked her several times over for being there for Ethan when he needed a friend.

The rest of the day felt odd, as if we shouldn’t be just getting on with our everyday life. I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it must be for Mercy’s family...