Mourn in private, celebrate in public. There is so much more to be thankful for, than there is to mourn.

Instructions to celebrate the passing of her life with gratitude have been taught to Cherrie Carapetyan's children for decades. We are not expected to take a pass on the mourning process, but neither is this sufficient - in her world view. We have been given much to be thankful for, and are expected to do just that. She would look us squarely in the eye when passing out those instructions, as if to ask "You got that ?" Yes mom, we got that.

Cherrie Carapetyan's life was chock full in every way imaginable. Professionally, personally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, you name it. Mom was an energetic participant in life, and her passing leaves behind few voids in her breadth of experience. We were all blessed with her enthusiasm, her incredible wit, her deep desire for enduring personal relationships, which each of us shared with her as individuals.

Our sorrow has been felt long before her passing, as she herself mourned the passing of her physical capabilities one at a time over the past few years. Parkinsons leaves the family plenty of time to mourn long before the eventual death. She herself got to do a lot of her own mourning with us. Mom wasn't the most graceful at accepting her own limitations, even in the best of times.

The Drill:

We've been through this before with all four grandparents decades ago, this will even be closer to our hearts.

It is our honor to be able to spend the mourning period in full gratitude, remembering the joy and growth that each of us lived as we participated in life with Cherrie Carapetyan, some of us as her children, others as one of her many friends.

We will formally celebrate at a service in her honor, where there will be many many hymns sung, all of her favorites. We will tell stories. We will offer the personal glory which she so resolutely refused during her life. And most of all, we are now honor bound to never let her intentions diminish. Cherrie Carapetyan's world view was very simple: We are here to serve. As we do that, we all grow and laugh and move forward together.

It's a pretty simple drill. Got it, Mom. Today, and each tomorrow too, as we remember your wishes, we will do just that.