| 2006-05-10 - 7:48 p.m.
RIP SMC
Funerals are weird. They just are. You can go from shoulder shaking tears to laughter in a span that doesn't give the tears time to dry. So yeah...my aunt died last week. Did I write of that here? Sorry for a repeat. Husband and I are currently in MA, where we participated in the visitation and funeral rituals today. Cousin The Priest did the service. I took communion and the world didn't end, nor was there lightning. I said the rosary twice, and found that repeatedly saying the Hail Mary is kind of lovely in a meditative way. I sat next to my father while he buried his only sibling. He and my mother have been here for three weeks. Basically waiting for her to die. I cannot imagine. Her apt is cleared out. Personal items have been given away and donated. Lawyers have been contacted. My parents are leaving for home in FL tomorrow. Husband and I drive to Albany to catch our flight home in the morning. I don't know that I will ever return here to the Berkshires, where my family came from. Where my Gramps grew up. Where his dad was a firefighter and his uncle an undertaker. The funeral home with my family name on it handled my aunt's arrangements. She was buried in the family plot. I had no idea we had a family plot. Maybe we'll come back for a vacation. It's beautiful here. I love the hotel we lucked into. But probably not. I love these cousins I'm just getting to know...the Long Island cousins from last year's reunion. We don't think we have the dough to make this year's party, but I REALLLLLLY want to. Really. But damn....if the flight doesn't kill you, the hotel prices will. Cousin the Priest gave a most awesome funeral sermon. Talking about the good and the bad. He said, out loud, the word ADDICTION. And I just loved his service, because it was about the whole person. The good and the bad. And even though she wasn't perfect, people loved her and she will be missed. For someone like me who thinks no one can love her unless she is perfect, that was an important thing for me to hear and reflect on. Poking thru her personal stuff, I picked up a couple of things...for whatever reason, a little medallion with the serenity prayer said "take me". So I did. A tiny carved buddah and a couple of silver pins round out my keepsakes. Godspeed and God Bless, Aunt Suanne. Give my love to Grams and Gramps.
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