Before I share this morning’s post, I would like to ask for Prayers for Lisa Marie Bird and Larry Stewart as we prepare for his funeral and Memorial this morning. Also keep my family in your PRAYERS as we prepare to help in any way we can.
This ✝️🎪🐒🌀 SATURDAY MORNING: we are preparing for A Catholic Memorial, the 70’s, and the Circle That Holds Us All as our Circle not only remains unbroken but expands as we meet and gain new families this morning.
Today starts early for us — earlier than I’d like, but exactly when we need to be up. First is shopping at Walmart for jeans for Charlie. Then we are having Bbeakfast at the American Legion at 8, with Tracy and Lisa Marie and who even shows up.
Then straight into setting up for a Catholic Memorial Service for Larry, a man who lived hard, loved big, and lost whole decades of his life to the 70’s he couldn’t remember. Then we head to St. John’s Catholic Church for his funeral.
I’ve never been to a Catholic ceremony before. I don’t know all the traditions. I don’t know the order of things. I don’t know when to stand or sit or kneel. But I do know this:
Catholic funerals are about honoring a soul, remembering a life, and trusting that God’s mercy is bigger than any mistake a person ever made.
And if anyone needed mercy, it was Larry — and he got it. Not because he was perfect, but because God is.
Today we’re not wearing black. Today we’re remembering the 70’s — the wild years Larry lived so hard he couldn’t recall them later. Today we’re celebrating the man he was, the stories he left behind, and the people who loved him enough to show up.
And yes… this hits close to home.
Because I live with a man who also lost years to addiction. A man who fought his way back. A man who is still fighting, still recovering, still choosing life one day at a time. A man who is a father, a husband, a son, a American Legion member, a worker, a survivor.
David’s story is Larry’s story — but it’s also my story and C’s story because we live it with David every day.
We share Davids’s story not to shame him, but to help someone else who thinks they’re alone.
Addiction steals decades. Recovery gives them back — slowly, painfully, beautifully.
So today, as we honor Larry, we’re also honoring every family who has lived through addiction, prayed through addiction, survived addiction, and is still healing from addiction.
If you’ve never been to a Catholic funeral, here are a few things I’ve learned as I prepared for today:
✝️ It’s okay not to know what to do. Just follow the crowd. Catholics are used to visitors.
✝️ There will be prayers, readings, and blessings. You don’t have to memorize anything. Just be present.
✝️ There may be incense, holy water, and hymns. It’s all part of honoring the soul.
✝️ It’s not about perfection — it’s about respect. Your presence matters more than your posture.
✝️ You don’t have to wear black. Especially today — we’re wearing color, wearing memories, wearing the 70’s Larry lived and lost.
✝️ You don’t have to be Catholic to feel the love. Grief is universal. So is hope.
Today will be long. Today will be emotional. Today will be holy in its own way.
We’ll set up. We’ll serve. We’ll honor. We’ll clean up. We’ll come home tired in the way only a full day can make you tired.
But we’ll come home knowing we showed up for someone who mattered.
The circle is still unbroken — even when the stories are messy, even when the past is painful, even when the memories are missing, even when the journey is hard.
This morning, I’m praying for strength, peace, and steady hands as we move through the day.
If you’re up early too, I hope your day starts with grace.
✝️🎪🐒🌀 #Faith #CatholicFuneral #MemorialService #AddictionRecovery #FamilyLife #CircleUnbroken #TheMommiesReviews #PorchTruth #RealLife #70sMemories
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
