The passing of summer provides me with deep reminders and reflections. 

Yellow has rarely been a colour I’ve been drawn to through the years. In the summer pallet for clothing, yellow isn’t a standout for me. 

My friend Ruby, on the other hand, loved yellow. And if it included sunflowers, what could be better? As a summer camp director, she poured her brilliant creativity, her compassion and her love for Jesus into her work. We met when my first daughter was twelve. I spent many camp weeks through the years in her kitchen, serving those who came through in the name of Jesus. For me, Ruby exemplified Jesus.

Ruby passed away seven years ago. It was unexpected and sudden. In shock, we headed to Calgary for the service. In spite of being a death care professional, I felt quite helpless. Ruby was well cared for by her family’s choices and I was invited to deliver one of several eulogies. We were all asked to wear yellow. So, in her honour, I bought a yellow top and kind of knew I would always think of it as Ruby’s shirt. It wasn’t until this spring that I was able to part with it in the turnover of seasonal clothes. It was an act of releasing some aspect of my grief.

Over the years, each summer has brought me a different awareness of yellow in the world. We’ve had sunflowers sprout beneath the bird feeders. A tree awash in yellow leaves smack in the midst of a green forest. I’ve painted garden décor bright yellow, and have come to treasure a yellow mailbox. This past summer there have beautiful sunflowers out of the Cariboo Region have so caught my eye.

When we keep an eye out for meaningful moments, they often present themselves at the just the right time. Pine Box Funerals Inc. recently served another family experiencing the ravages of unexpected loss. Body burial and a pine box were the requests. Out at Poplar Lake Cemetery, the volunteer operators have been contemplating natural burial for some time. In this cemetery, that means no chemical embalming and no requirement for a concrete liner. Without the assistance of the mechanical lowering device usually provided by the liner supplier, the decision to use a simple set of straps for lowering was a workable and time-tested alternative. 

Generally, Pine Box Funerals doesn’t use finishes on our caskets. This allows for a family to personalize the container, and painting this casket the favourite colour of the decedent was something her family wanted to do. So, they loaded up the back of their minivan and spent the weekend working with their grief and shock to pay tribute and connect more deeply with their loss.

As you can see by the photos, the burial at Poplar Lake went smoothly. The young woman, gone way too soon, was laid gently to rest by those who loved her best. It was a combination service and interment. For this little funeral home and the cemetery operators, it was a solid win for the movement towards greater respect for our earth and the environment at life’s end.

And, in the middle of summer, when I am most missing my friend, a sacred moment presented itself as this family bid their loved one farewell in a hand crafted, mustard yellow pine box.