Craig Ross's Funeral

I played the organ and sang for a funeral at the church where I served as an organist for 10 years - until I stopped going to church completely. In the last 3 years I have only been to church's to play/sing for weddings and funerals. But today was different. Today was MY church. I saw all the old congregants, we sang all the old hymns, I played the organ that my choir bought after raising the money ourselves.........

I also saw the leadership that let me go, had cake and tea in the hall where I played my final church fundraising concert, stood on the stoep where I would hide and cry during church services.........

A part of me wanted to say Yes to all the people who begged me to go back to the church today: they have not had a musician there since I left three years ago. I realised how much I missed being part of that kind of community. And then my head reminded me of the countless Sunday mornings when I would have to pull off the road to calm down and stop crying. The phone calls to my dad in Joburg to ask for advice. How unhappy Keith was with the unhappiness the church caused.

So when a little old lady asked me if I would ever belong to a church again, I found it very difficult to answer.

Enough about me. Today I had the great privilege to be part of a send off for the late Craig Graham Ross. I was asked to play the organ, and sing a solo. When I asked Maureen (Craig's wife) what to sing, she said that I had known Craig and that I should decide myself. STRESS! I then thought of Craig the man. I met Craig 13 years ago. He was a sickly man, in constant pain. There were 2 very special memories. One was Craig's standard comment whenever he heard anybody speak about a good church musician: Yes, but you haven't heard OUR church organist. Say what you want, Craig Ross was loyal to me. The other amazing thing about Craig was the fact that he NEVER complained about his health. WOW! I sang For Good from the musical Wicked.

So what did I learn from Craig? How to cope with adversity. How, you may ask? SMILE! Craig Ross always smiled with me. It warmed my heart. He would make whoever was pushing him around (in his wheelchair) stop wherever I was, just to smile and greet. Now when an older heterosexual Christian man shows such love, compassion and tolerance for a rather difficult, always thinks he is right, LOUD queen (!)..... That's someone special there. Thanks Craig. Your love did not go unnoticed!