RIP Laura Nichols aka JustMeLaura
shh said:
I am not a religious person but I know Laura was. I have to believe a higher spirit had his plan for her...she helped so many people. She never stopped doing things. She always went above and beyond. I know her life was not easy, she worked SO DAMN hard. I can only justify by feeling like she is at peace. She raised beautiful, caring, compassionate children who have the same work ethic she does. I know she had an album on her Facebook page with the title "beautiful things I make." In it were pics of her children, her culinary creations... There has to be a greater plan for this to have happened.
This is beautiful, shh.
Laura's funeral was as amazing, captivating, charming and one-of-a-kind as she was. It was so perfectly her... A very full church of people wearing leis and bright colors. I wore my flask belt buckle which I know she would have loved; she would have been the first to beg for a sip and make a crotch joke at the same time.
The service was filled with talk of naked waterslides, sluts, boob jobs, salsa dancing, multi-tasking while driving, all nighters, old boyfriends (gay, straight and in-between), cocktails, writing phone numbers on windows and calmly putting out fires in the nude at 5am with a mojito in one hand and a hose in the other... And food, lots and lots of food. One of the eulogies hysterically started with a giant, hands-in-the-air group picture and a sibling eulogy selfie. There were stunningly beautiful songs, a song written for Laura by one of her sons, a Beatles song read for Laura and lots of talk of kindness, God, love, work ethic and unbridled devotion to others. It started on Laura time and went fittingly late. And it could have gone so much later!
And then there was the repast, with the most eclectic assortment of food I've ever seen. Laura would have loved it! A pile of pizza boxes 18 high, pulled pork, ravioli, cornbread, baked ziti, sliced chicken, spiral ham, smoked wings, cheesy mac and cheese, salad for days, coleslaw, artichoke dip and then there were the desserts! And the daytime drinking! Champagne, wine, beer, crazy cocktails, scotch and more. I got home and fell asleep at 8pm; my wife was so not surprised.
As one of the speakers at the funeral said, a gravestone lists the date of birth and the date of death, but life is lived in the dash. And what a f*cking dash it was. Rest in peace, Laura, rest in peace. You were loved to pieces and live on in our hearts, memories and belly laughter.
See Jamie's post in the new board software thread ... sounds like they may take requests at some point 'after the dust settles' on that upgrade.joanne said:
I really want a MOL 'like' button. Please.
This is the song Harry sang on the podium. I couldn't place it but coincidetally we picked our college kid up and she played this in the car.
My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-
It gives a lovely light!
Mae West
All of Laura's family members spoke amazingly. I found myself particularly struck by Danny.
Danny's telling of his love story with Laura starting in High School was the sincerest truest storytelling I have heard or am likely to hear and I say that as an Irishman with a deep abiding love for storytelling.
He walked up in front of a church filled to capacity, completely unprepared with what he was going to say and it just poured out. He told it with such wonder, such thrill to remember and urgency to convey it as he shared the clearest memories.
Well done sir. Well done.
jerseyjack said:
Edna St. Vincent Millay sums up Laura for me.
My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-
It gives a lovely light!
Perfect.
steel said:
Regarding Danny:
All of Laura's family members spoke amazingly. I found myself particularly struck by Danny.
Danny's telling of his love story with Laura starting in High School was the sincerest truest storytelling I have heard or am likely to hear and I say that as an Irishman with a deep abiding love for storytelling.
He walked up in front of a church filled to capacity, completely unprepared with what he was going to say and it just poured out. He told it with such wonder, such thrill to remember and urgency to convey it as he shared the clearest memories.
Well done sir. Well done.
+1.
soda said:
steel said:
Regarding Danny:
All of Laura's family members spoke amazingly. I found myself particularly struck by Danny.
Danny's telling of his love story with Laura starting in High School was the sincerest truest storytelling I have heard or am likely to hear and I say that as an Irishman with a deep abiding love for storytelling.
He walked up in front of a church filled to capacity, completely unprepared with what he was going to say and it just poured out. He told it with such wonder, such thrill to remember and urgency to convey it as he shared the clearest memories.
Well done sir. Well done.
+1.
I don't recall ever hearing a woman's beauty being described in such a beautiful way.
Laura was not a great author, politician or prominent citizen in the usual sense.
She was one of us but somehow she was more than one of us.
We have lost one of our own...........but in this loss if even for a brief moment in time she brought us all together.
Fitting and I think prophetic that it be during time of Resurrection and Hope so dear to two major
Religions.
Life can be tough. Some rare people make it just a little easier.
Christos Anesti Laura.
shh said:
Absolutely! It's so weird because I knew the lyrics were familiar but I do not ever remember hearing the song, at least the versions we found driving home last night. And what a coincidence that my daughter would play this old song out of the blue?!
Synchronicity...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/opinion/sunday/david-brooks-the-moral-bucket-list.html?hpw&rref=opinion&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0
Here is the opening paragraph. . .
ABOUT once a month I run across a person who radiates an inner light. These people can be in any walk of life. They seem deeply good. They listen well. They make you feel funny and valued. You often catch them looking after other people and as they do so their laugh is musical and their manner is infused with gratitude. They are not thinking about what wonderful work they are doing. They are not thinking about themselves at all.
I posted the following on the gofundme site, as a way to say thank you, and realized I should share it here as well, in hopes that all who gave will see it...
Dear 364 amazing folk who have contributed to the Laura Nichols Fund, started here by Laura's dear friend Mary Marzano: You are angels, you are heroes, you have no idea...when I went to set up a funeral for Laura at the funeral home on April 3, I learned that I needed $3500. for a deposit. I'm ashamed to tell you, I only had $1,100. to my name at that moment. But the funeral home folk graciously agreed to accept $1,000. as a deposit, once they realized that funds were pouring in thru this site, created by Mary...and because of your generosity, I was able to completely pay for the funeral, cremation, hospital and ER and ambulance costs, and many other details of daily life that Laura was able to leave behind, for a far better place...
I'm part of a little program that meets around town (I'd tell you about it, but we're, umm, anonymous...) and there's a promise that we cling to that says "you will SUDDENLY realize that God is doing for you what you could not have done for yourself." I remember the moment I SUDDENLY realized that God was using all of you help me pay for something I never anticipated having to pay, in the midst of great agony and pain, having to help 3 young adults grapple with the sudden shocking death of their mother, and a good buddy deal with the death of the woman he thought would be his partner for the rest of his life... God truly, suddenly, did for me what I could not do for myself, and He used each one of YOU to do it...
How does it feel to be God's hands and God's feet and God's LOVE in action??!! Cause that's you... All I can say, from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of my children, Laura's brother and sisters and family, and Dan, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Tommy Nichols Maplewood, NJ
Also, to see Laura's celebration service which we held at Morrow Church on April 9, 2015, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdyCP_LwmYE&feature=youtu.be
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That was pretty freaking funny!