The next several days are a whirlwind. But, one thing that I am so grateful for is...the family agreed on EVERYTHING!

There wasn't one single thing that someone suggested that was dismissed or anyone thought, no way, we need to do it this way. We all agreed and it made things so much easier.

I, somehow, remembered that she had told me that she wanted to be cremated, so we all agreed that we should have her viewing and funeral in New York, where all of her friends were, but her final resting place would be in Pennsylvania, by us. We also agree we will insist on an autopsy.

She passed away on a Saturday, so Jeff took care of as much as he could before my parents arrived on Sunday. He talked with her friends and found out about her church, a funeral parlor, the works. I would arrive on Monday night with my husband and the kids. The viewing is on Tuesday and the funeral on Wednesday.

Plans are made that I will stay behind and help my parents clean out her apartment, because, hey, the landlord wants to rent it out ASAP *eye roll*

We arrive in New York, check into the hotel, and then meet up with my parents, Jeff, and his good friends for dinner. I take a moment and listen. We are laughing. We are actually LAUGHING. I smile and think, "Thank you God for this moment, because I know the next few days will be pure hell."

We arrive at the funeral parlor early afternoon on Tuesday. Cindy's not ready, so we wait in the below freezing lobby. But me, who is usually cold, LOVES it. It is decided that I would go in with my parents and Jeff, before I bring the kids in. At this point, I don't know how my mother is going to react, or myself for that matter. Walking in I think this will be easier for Jeff, because he already saw her at the worst.

After the initial shock, the mortician steps up and asks how she looks. My Mom looks to me and I say, "Her lipstick needs to be darker, not red, but not light pink either." My Mom adds, "And her eyeliner has to be thicker." She does what we ask, but nicely adds, "You said to do her makeup natural, and that's how I did it." *whatever* Afterwards, she steps back and waits for approval. I smile, THAT'S Cindy. Once I see we are all, okay, I go out and get my husband and kids.

Shortly after our arrival, and well before regular visiting hours, there is a young couple that walk in.

I look at the guy and think, "Wow, who's he?"

Seriously, I didn't think my sister would hang out with someone, so...hip? I guess, that's a way I can put it. I immediately assume that he's the young woman's husband.

More people arrive, tons from the churches she worked at over the years, some from NYU hospital that she volunteered at. Lifelong friends she's had, because once Cindy made a friend, THEY WERE FRIENDS FOR LIFE!!!! Seriously, no exaggeration! The most touching visits were when the parents of the kids from CCD came. Did I mention the students Cindy taught had disabilities?

I warned my kids, especially my teenager, that he'd be getting hugs from complete strangers, and to just go with it - but what came next shocked them.

Countless people would go up to them and tell them stories that Cindy had passed on.

They'd say, "Oh my God how much she loved you."

"Oh you just made communion, she was so proud."

"She was your Godmother."

They knew E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!

One thing is certain, if my kids didn't know how much Cindy loved them before, they KNEW it now.

Several hours into the viewing I look back and the young couple that walked in first, are still there. I think its strange, I mean, who stays for four hours at a viewing when its not a family member.

I see Jeff and my husband talking to them, and decide I need to find out who they are. I walk into a conversation they are having and just listen. Eventually, we get to introductions and I learn that he is the guy that was changing Cindy.

He is the reason she was dressing better and looked so happy.

He is the one that was changing her life, and making her love herself, and helping her realize she is worth something.

He said, "She started taking the subway again. I told her just because she walks with a cane didn't mean she had to take the special transit for handicapped people. So what if it took her a few extra seconds to get off the train, if she wanted to get on a subway - DO IT!"

God Bless him!

He turns to me and says, "It's such a shame that this happened now. She was just about to spread her wings and fly and this happens. It's not fair. But, I want you to know in the last year she was happy!"

Did I say, God Bless him? I mean THANK YOU GOD FOR SENDING HIM TO CINDY - BLESS HIM FOREVER!

I quickly invite them to have dinner with us and he wants to make sure he's not imposing, they aren't family. Jeff quickly points out that you don't have to be blood to be family, and they are more than welcome.

After dinner break, more priests, nuns, etc show up, but we find it strange that her best friend and lifelong friend from high school doesn't show up. I assume that maybe it was just too hard for her come.

During the next group we learn so much about more about Cindy than we ever knew. We knew she taught CCD at a church - we didn't know it was 2 churches. We didn't know that it wasn't just going there on a Saturday mornings and teaching them, it was creating lesson plans and giving extra help. It was meetings and more meetings. We didn't know that she had changed the lives of these disabled children on the level that she did, and that she had the patience of saint with them, even at their most difficult times. We didn't know that both churches valued her so much, that one is putting an engraved stone in their prayer garden, and the other is putting a gold leaf on their tree of life in their church. We didn't know that NYU is starting a hydrocephalis fund in her name.

I don't think there was a single person that walked in that room and didn't say, "She loved the children. She loved the children."

We looked at pictures people brought of her at parties and functions and she was smiling and happy, and laughing and dancing.

We didn't know that she was considering entering the missionary OR becoming a nun.

We didn't know.

We didn't know this side of her.

We didn't know Cindy - AT ALL!