We lost a friend today.

Pink Roses means friendship, that's the language of flowers.

 Geri these roses are for you, friends forever, until we meet again.
                                                

Christine and Arin, Geri's daughters, asked me if I would like to speak at Geri's funeral.I told them that I am not very good at that, but agreed to give it a try. Being a very emotional person I was not sure if I was able to do it.But with a couple of chokes I was able to get it done. This is what I said:


Some 30 years ago I met Geraldine Selby on the tennis court at Burlington Racquets.What good years we had, with all our tennis friends.When aches and pain prevented us from playing tennis, we decided to play golf. My husband Ruud and I have many fond memories on the golf course and off the golf course.Every Thursday we play golf, ladies only and have lunch after our golf game. How we will miss you!
A true friend has left us today.

Geri....Fred,Christine, Arin, family and friends, words cannot describe how we feel when we have to say goodbye to a friend. It's hard to understand that you "Geri" is not amongst us anymore.Your time to leave came too suddenly and too soon. We will miss you terrible. You were so full of life. I never forget that it was always you who said; Come on guys lets have some fun! You were always the leader, and would get on the phone and organize, where and what we would do.You were so much fun. We will remember your optimism and your courage, we will never forget you and you will forever live in our hearts.
We will one day meet again, we are sure we will. Reserve a spot for us Geri, please.. so we can continue our friendship and our laughter. Thank you so much for your friendship. We will miss you!

Geri the other day your daughters Christine and Arin asked me to read one of two poems I wrote on the blog of the Funeral Home. One poem is a poem I wrote for another friend we lost this year. The coincidence is that her daughter's name is also Christine. I decided to read this poem. It's called "Cry no more!". I know you would have liked this one. Your thoughts were always for your family and with this poem I know it's what you, Geri would have liked to tell them.

You can cry and cry, because I am gone,
Or you can laugh because I lived!
You can close your eyes and wish I would come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see what I left behind.

Your heart is empty, because you can't see me
Or it can be full of love, of all the things we have shared.
You can turn your back and try to live in the past,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow, just because of yesterday.

You can in your memories only think that I am gone,
Or you can remember me, and let me live on.
You can cry, close the door, be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do, what I would like you to do:

LAUGH, OPEN YOUR EYES, LOVE AND JUST GO ON!
YOUR MOTHER LEFT SOMETHING VERY BEAUTIFUL BEHIND,
AND THAT IS YOU!

               Language of flowers; Forget-Me-Not!.......Remember me forever!

I decided if I am able to get this far, whitout breaking down, I would read the second poem for Geri. So Geri this poem is for you'

We thought of you with love today,
But that is nothing new,
We thought about you yesterday,
And days before that too!
We think of you in silence
We often speak your name,
Now all we have is memories 
And a picture in a frame.
Your memory is our keepsake,
With which we'll never part
But memories we are keeping
Forever in our hearts.

Rest in peace, Geri.

                                                  Goodbye my friend.