Saturday, September 17, 2005
HEAVEN IS A WONDERFUL PLACE FILLED WITH GLORY AND GRACE I WANNA SEE MY SAVIOR�S FACE �CAUSE HEAVEN IS A WONDERFUL PLACE WE�RE HERE TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF LILLIAN WOLOSHYN AND TO GIVE HER THE SEND-OFF SHE WOULD HAVE WANTED TO THE WONDERFUL PLACE. ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR COMING TODAY. YOU HONOR US BY YOUR PRESENCE, BUT EVEN MORE YOU HONOR THE LIFE OF LIL. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON�T KNOW ME, MY NAME IS JEFF BUZIAK. I AM A NEPHEW TO LIL. PLEASE ALLOW ME TO SAY A FEW WORDS IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY WONDERFUL AUNT. I CANNOT SPEAK FOR YOU OR BEGIN TO MEASURE YOUR GRIEF. I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THAT SHE CHANGED MY LIFE AND I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR HER CARING AND NURTURING WHEN MY LIFE WAS FULL OF DESPAIR. SHE WAS THERE. SHE WAS THERE FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, HER HUSBAND, HER SON, HIS FAMILY AND THOSE WHO CAME INTO HER LIFE WITH NEED. SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE. LIL PASSED AWAY LAST WEDNESDAY IN NORTH BATTLEFORD FROM HEART FAILURE. TO ME THIS SEEMS IRONIC AS SHE HAD THE BIGGEST, STRONGEST HEART OF ANYONE I KNOW. SHE CARED FROM HER HEART VERY MUCH FOR EVERYONE IN HER LIFE AND ESPECIALLY HER BELOVED FARM. YOU DON�T KNOW, IS A PHRASE LIL USED OFTEN TO EXPRESS HERSELF AND IT REMAINS RINGING IN MY EARS TO THIS VERY DAY. AS I REFLECT ON LIL�S PASSING, I REALIZE I DON�T KNOW FULLY THE DEPTH OF HER UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE AND THE DETERMINATION SHE HAD TO LIVE HER LIFE ACCORDING TO THAT UNDERSTANDING. LIL CAME FROM AN ERA OF PRIDE, DEDICATION, DIGNITY, COMMITMENT, DEVOTION AND PERSEVERENCE. IN LIL�S LIFE, WHEN YOU MADE A COMMITMENT OR AGREEMENT, YOU KEPT IT AT ALL COSTS. YOU HELD UP YOUR END OF THE BARGAIN WITH PRIDE AND YOU PERSEVERRED RELENTLESSLY. THIS IS HOW LIL LIVED HER LIFE. SHE WAS A GRACIOUS LADY, ALWAYS STRIVING TO LOOK HER BEST, BE HER BEST AND BRING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS. SHE ALWAYS DRESSED WELL, WORKED HARD AND EXPECTED NO LESS FROM THOSE IN HER CARE. SHE MET THE MAN OF HER DREAMS AT A DANCE IN THE NORTH BATTLEFORD AREA AND AFTER A WHIRLWIND ROMANCE MARRIED NED WOLOSHYN. IT WAS THE CITY GIRL AND THE WILD FARM BOY. SHE WAS DESTINED TO BE ON THE FARM. FROM NORTH BATTLEFORD THEY MOVED ONTO A FARM IN THAT AREA. THEY THEN SOUGHT A LIFE IN THE BIG CITY OF EDMONTON ALBERTA AND THEN AGAIN DESTINY TOOK THEM TO THEIR BELOVED FARM 4 AND ONE HALF MILES EAST OF MARWAYNE ALBERTA. LIL TRULY WAS A CITY GIRL TRAPPED IN A FARM WOMAN�S LIFE. AS ROMANTIC AS THAT SOUNDS TO SOME CITY PEOPLE TODAY, THEY WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE STRENGTH OF MIND, DEVOTION, DEDICATION AND PERSEVERANCE IT TOOK FOR HER TO GO FROM THE CITY TO THE FARM. NO ELECTRICITY, NO RUNNING WATER, NO INDOOR PLUMBING, NO CENTRAL HEATING AND, OF COURSE, NO MONEY. HOW DID SHE DO IT? THIS CITY WOMAN WHO LOVED TO WEAR DRESSES, HIGH HEELS, MAKE-UP AND HAVE HER HAIR DONE. SHE FELT SHE MADE A CHOICE AND STUCK WITH IT. SHE DREW FROM INNER STRENGTH, FROM PRIDE AND FROM THE EXPERIENCES GROWING UP IN A FAMILY OF 12. SHE ADMIRED THE FORTITUDE AND STAMINA OF THE WOMEN IN HER COMMUNITY AND FAMILY, WHOM SHE DEEPLY RESPECTED. SHE REALIZED IT WAS THE LIFE SHE CHOSE AND THAT OTHERS NEAR HER HAD IT MORE DIFFICULT THAN SHE DID. SHE PERSEVERRED. SHE LEARNED AND UNDERSTOOD THE PLIGHT OF THE PRAIRIE FARM WOMEN. IT WAS A HARD LIFE AND SHE REALIZED IT WASN�T ALL EQUITABLE BUT, SHE KNEW SHE MADE A CHOICE AND TO ABANDON THAT CHOICE WAS NOT AN OPTION. PRAIRIE FARM WOMEN WERE STRONG AND SO WAS LIL. SHE WORKED THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF FARM LIFE AND REMAINED DETERMINED. LIL GAVE GREATLY OF HERSELF. SHE WAS DEVOTED TO A DIFFICULT, HARD WORKING HUSBAND, HER SON, HIS FAMILY AND THEIR FARM. SHE WAS AN AVID GARDENER, GREAT COOK, GOOD FRIEND, SISTER, HOMEMAKER AND MOTHER OF THE EARTH. SHE STRONLY BELIEVED IN GROWING A BIG BOUNTIFUL GARDEN OF VEGATABLES AND FLOWERS. SHE FELT THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT SIGN FOR A GOOD FARM TO HAVE. SHE ALSO BELIEVED GARDENING GAVE YOU A PIECE OF MIND AND ESCAPE FROM THE PRESSURES OF LIFE. IN THE END AND UNTIL HER PASSING, THE CITY GIRL HAD BECOME A FARM GIRL. SHE MOVED ONCE AGAIN TO THE CITY IN 1989. SHE STILL LIKED TO DRESS-UP BUT, THE FARM HAD BECOME HER LIFE, HER BEING AND HER SOUL. HER BELOVED FARM, THE PLACE SHE COULD NEVER QUITE LET GO OF. HOWEVER, UPON NED�S PASSING SHE ONCE AGAIN REACHED INSIDE TO HER INNER STRENGTH AND ANNOUNCED �I�M SIGNING THE FARM OVER TO STEPHEN� AND PROMPTLY DID. NED AND LIL TRAVELLED SOME AND SHE ENJOYED GOING TO THE CASINOS IN BATTLEFORD AND LAS VEGAS BUT HER HEART ALWAYS REMAINED ON HER BELOVED FARM. LIL, IF YOU ARE LISTENING, YOU DON�T KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU, WE MISS YOU AND WE WILL ALWAYS KEEP YOU IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS I THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO CELEBRATE LIL�S PASSING TO A WONDERFUL PLACE. I KNOW SHE WILL DEVOTE HERSELF TO HER NEW LIFE WITH THE SAME COMMITMENT AS SHE DID HERE ON EARTH. IN CLOSING, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO READ A SHORT POEM IN LIL�S HONOR BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE. DO NOT STAND AT MY GRAVE AND WEEP, I AM NOT THERE, I DO NOT SLEEP. I AM A THOUSAND WINDS THAT BLOW. I AM THE DIAMOND GLINT ON SNOW. I AM THE SUNLIGHT ON RIPENED GRAIN. I AM THE GENTLE AUTUMN RAIN. WHEN YOU WAKE IN THE MORNING HUSH, I AM THE SWIFT, UPLIFTING RUSH OF QUIET BIRDS IN CIRCLING FLIGHT. I AM THE SOFT STARLIGHT AT NIGHT. DO NOT STAND AT MY GRAVE AND CRY. I AM NOT THERE, I DID NOT DIE!
