The funeral, er Homegoing, was wonderful.

Thank you for the cards, love, prayers, thoughts, text messages, voicemails, black eyed peas and kind words. Nothing went unnoticed.

I didn't have to have "the talk" with my aunts or my mother. "The talk" was more of a threat from me. I wanted to warn them not to be so overcome with grief that they tried to jump in the casket with Auntie. I truly didn't want to be embarrassed. My thinking is if you give someone their flowers here on earth, then you don't have to cut a fool at the funeral/Homegoing. No one crawled in the casket. Everyone must have given her flowers while she was among us. Good deal.

Now I have personally have never attended a funeral/Homegoing when someone tried to jump in the casket but I know we all have heard about them. I was going to be damned if I witnessed it firsthand on Saturday. Everything was very dignified and how do I say it, "caucasian". No hooping and hollering. Just a wonderful, orderly service. My pastor and the choir were superb, just like a Sunday morning service. Auntie was surely smiling in heaven.

But of course there was always some drama with me. How about using those Delta Frequent Flyer miles I had to catch three planes to Detroit for the funeral/Homegoing?

I missed the last flight due to weather. I got to Cleveland at 7:30 and the flight to Detroit left at 7 p.m. Gosh damn! So I was told the soonest the airline could get me to Detroit was 11...the next morning. Auntie's funeral/Homegoing started at 9:30 a.m. Point me in the direction of the rental cars, please.

When God closes an aircraft door, He surely pops a car door open. So Avis's Impala got me to Detroit in two and a half hours. Needless to say, a sista was tired.

Now days after the funeral I sit in bewilderment. I haven't had that "breakdown" that I thought I was supposed to have. Sydni says that I am going to have it when someone asks me something simple, like the time. She said I am just going to fallout crying at the slightest question. But in her defense she said that she was going to be there when it happened with things to make me laugh. Finger puppets, jokes, the whole nine. With my crew, I can never be sad for long. To be as old as we are we are still ridiculously silly. I don't think I am going to need the finger puppets. I do believe that I am going to be alright.

The first of my grandmother's seven children passed away 16 years after she did. Naturally, there is a void in my heart but when I think about how blessed I am I can't do anything but do the happy dance. I'm going miss my auntie but we all have to meet our Maker someday. So I can only live right in hopes of seeing her again. Death isn't the end...It's a beginning. Thanks for everything Auntie Helen.

"Cause He blessed me once,
Then He blessed me twice.
God has been blessing me everyday of my life."

I think the name of the song is "Power" that the Second New Hope Choir sings. Auntie Helen and I danced to this many a days. I hope those three little verses remind you that what you are going through really ain't that bad. God has your back and the storm will be over soon. He promises.