We are all here today to do one thing – and that is to CELEBRATE the life, memory and legacy of our dear, sweet wife, mom, daughter, sister, caregiver and friend, Shirley Sando.
As sad, confused and completely broken as we all are, this is a truly beautiful day because we can all rest assured that Shirley is in Heaven, free of her body and all the pain she endured the last few years. It is without a doubt that she is seated next to God, holding his hand, and doing what she did best here on Earth – serving others.
It’s pretty obvious from the group of people here today that her gift of service and selflessness impacted the lives of so many others. Over the last couple of days our family has heard expected comments like, “Shirley was like a second mother and loved our family as her own,” or “We will do anything we can to help because your mother changed our lives.” Even her insurance agent said, “She was not just a client…she was a dear friend.” Only Shirley would become friends with her insurance agent.
It’s funny actually, because we are all here today because of a simple pack of Juicy Fruit gum. For those of you who don’t know the story, Bill and Shirley met when they were 16 and 18 at a High School basketball game when Bill bought a pack of Juicy Fruit gum from her. What he thought was just a “harmless” pack of gum turned out to be a lifetime of undying love, unconditional service and the start of a family that genuinely adores each other.
As all of you know, Shirley had an almost “sixth sense” about her. There are countless stories about her calling or visiting to simply say, “I was thinking about you today, just wanted to say hi and that I love you.” It is with heavy hearts but joyful spirits that we say goodbye to our biggest fan.
As we all remember her, think of something she used to say all the time, “When life gets hard, you have two choices. You can either run away or get closer to God.” Well, Shirley, your prayers have been answered. We can whole-heartedly say that each of us has become closer to God because of your life and now through your death. Truthfully, the only reason our family is even able to make it through this incredibly difficult time is because she made us the strong, capable and confident people we are today.
Every day we heard confirmations of our internal abilities, strengths and gifts. Outward appearances, criticisms or pettiness had no place in Shirley’s heart, as she lived a life that was rich in blessings, adoration and the unseen. As we all move forward with our lives after today, we will each take with us a piece of Shirley Sando and continue her legacy of love, happiness and faith.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 5:16-18
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