The Final Goodbye....

I call this the final goodbye but I don't believe it. I'm not a religious person but I'm spiritual. That's the only description I can come up with that accurately pegs my beliefs. Since I speak and listen to the dead, I don't believe there's ever a final goodbye.

About a week or so ago for several days in a row, all I could smell was dad's cherry pipe tobacco. Home, work, in the parking lot at the grocery store and in the clothing stores. Since we're going through a very trying time, I think it's his way of making me settle down and focus.

For a couple of days, I could smell old lady perfume. I always knew it was my mother in law but now that mom's dead, she wore pretty much the same powdery scent. I don't think it's cologne I'm smelling but face powder. It's going to be hard differentiating between the two women so I need to meditate and find a way to tell them apart.

Anyway, I was surprised at how fast and easy putting mom to rest was going to be. It was a matter of minutes that they pulled back the lawn, placed her gently into the ground and covered her up. I thought she would be put in with dad but instead her ashes are resting to the left of him.

I decided to post these pictures not for morbid reasons because death is a part of life but because it just felt good in my heart.

This is mom's temporary marker. A new stone will be made and placed marking both mom and dad's spot on this earth.

It was a small group who attended this part of the ceremony and it just felt right. I loved the intimacy of the day.

I have to say, I have my problems with the Federal Government but this definitely isn't one of them. This has got to be one of the most serene beautiful places I've ever been to. It's not depressing but uplifting.

Mom is placed below the left corner of dad's marker. When Paul went to read the stone, he was standing on the spot they'd just placed mom. I looked at him and said, "Hey Paul, why are you standing on gran?" It was hilarious watching what I said being processed through his mind and then watching him try to quickly move off the spot. I just couldn't quit laughing. I told him it was okay because gran was laughing her butt off too.

I love this picture of A & P. I think it's one of the best I've see of both of them.

Here's 3/4 of the Goonie Sisters. I think Ray fills in just fine as a Goonie.

I'm a sap for the American Flag. Yes, I get choked up when the National Anthem play and I think the flag is absolutely beautiful.

The only thing missing from the picture is a small breeze. Other than that, it's great.

I don't want to turn this political but this really hit home. Those white spots are new graves. That's just a tiny spot I took a photo of. There are several other places in the cemetery like this that are waiting for lawn to be laid.

When Bush was in office, we got a head count of every cotton pickin' solder that lost his or her life each day of the week. With Obama, rarely is the sacrifice noted.

When we went up to the flag area and looked at all the new headstones, it hit me like a sledge hammer the loss of life noted in this graveyard. I know most are not from the fighting that's going on right now, although there were a few close to where dad is laid to rest. But...when you go to sleep at night, please remember this picture and those who gave the ultimate price because they love this country and freedom.

It's been decades since Doug died in Vietnam but I still have bouts of tears and wonder what he would have been like as a married man with children.