These past few weeks about being extremely busy with fun events and not so fun events. I feel I need to catch up with my process of thinking. Yep, my life is a tad bit crazy.
A reflection on M
emorial Day....
A reflection on M
emorial Day....Usually, Mom and I decorate the graves of our loved ones each year. I still remember the Memorial day weekend that Mom was confined to a wheel chair awaiting her reconstructive knee surgery. That particular year, we gathered all the flowers and headed to the cemetery. It had been raining and so, there was plenty of mud. Just a side note: cemeteries are not really wheel chair accessible. But, we did it. We only got stuck a few times, but by the end, I think I had more mud on me than there were on the streets and I think that I only got stuck (pushing Mom in wheelchair) approximately a billion times. We kept commenting on what it was like in heaven that day—seeing me push my mom around two different cemeteries in a wheelchair. I am sure that it created some comical relief.
But, this year was much easier and my dad was not working, so he came a long with Mom and I to decorate the graves. We don’t have a lot of loved ones that have passed on, but the ones that we have—we miss terribly. We first stopped by the grave of my Grandpa and Grandma (my mom’s parents). I miss them terribly. I miss Grandpa’s chuckle and his love for life. I miss my dear sweet grandma. I miss her hugs and her kisses upon my cheeks. Every time I saw my grandma, she would tell me that she loved me and that I was so pretty. For those that don’t know, my Grandma and Grandpa were deaf. One thing that I miss about both of them is that every time that you saw them, they would make the “I Love You” sign in sign language. Oh, I do miss them so much.
Then, it was on my Uncle Dale’s grave. One thing that I miss about my Uncle Dale is that when I was little girl, he would tickle me until I almost cried. I remember his big burly beard. He was taken from our family at a young age.
After visiting those graves, we headed to Provo to visit the graves of my Grandfather, my Uncle Larry and Aunt Laurel’s grave. One thing that I remember about my Grandfather was that he was a very stern man. One of my memories of my Grandfather is that he would show up each Christmas (on Christmas Day) with a box of oranges for us. We love oranges and so, it was a nice treat each Christmas.
I never met my Uncle Larry. He died of pneumonia about a year after he was born. His little grave is located underneath a huge pine tree. What a special little place for a sweet little boy. When we found my aunt Laurel’s grave and placed the flowers upon her grave, we could hear the faint sound of bagpipes. It was the coolest feeling standing beside her grave listening to someone play bagpipes.
As we moved closer to Shirley’s grave (one of my Mom’s dearest friends), the bagpipes grew louder. Then, we noticed a girl standing at a grave playing her bagpipe. It was the coolest thing ever. It just brought so much peace to the cemetery. I am grateful for a day that we are able to reflect on those that have past on. We do miss them terribly, but we know that they are in a much better place.
But, this year was much easier and my dad was not working, so he came a long with Mom and I to decorate the graves. We don’t have a lot of loved ones that have passed on, but the ones that we have—we miss terribly. We first stopped by the grave of my Grandpa and Grandma (my mom’s parents). I miss them terribly. I miss Grandpa’s chuckle and his love for life. I miss my dear sweet grandma. I miss her hugs and her kisses upon my cheeks. Every time I saw my grandma, she would tell me that she loved me and that I was so pretty. For those that don’t know, my Grandma and Grandpa were deaf. One thing that I miss about both of them is that every time that you saw them, they would make the “I Love You” sign in sign language. Oh, I do miss them so much.
Then, it was on my Uncle Dale’s grave. One thing that I miss about my Uncle Dale is that when I was little girl, he would tickle me until I almost cried. I remember his big burly beard. He was taken from our family at a young age.
After visiting those graves, we headed to Provo to visit the graves of my Grandfather, my Uncle Larry and Aunt Laurel’s grave. One thing that I remember about my Grandfather was that he was a very stern man. One of my memories of my Grandfather is that he would show up each Christmas (on Christmas Day) with a box of oranges for us. We love oranges and so, it was a nice treat each Christmas.
I never met my Uncle Larry. He died of pneumonia about a year after he was born. His little grave is located underneath a huge pine tree. What a special little place for a sweet little boy. When we found my aunt Laurel’s grave and placed the flowers upon her grave, we could hear the faint sound of bagpipes. It was the coolest feeling standing beside her grave listening to someone play bagpipes.
As we moved closer to Shirley’s grave (one of my Mom’s dearest friends), the bagpipes grew louder. Then, we noticed a girl standing at a grave playing her bagpipe. It was the coolest thing ever. It just brought so much peace to the cemetery. I am grateful for a day that we are able to reflect on those that have past on. We do miss them terribly, but we know that they are in a much better place.
2 comments:
I was so touched by your post. I miss my Grandparents so much, and I am really missing my Uncle Larry, as it has been one month since he passed. LOVE the bagpipes. What a beautiful sound, and thought to commemorate the life of others who have gone on before us.
I'm glad you got to go visit the graves of your loved ones. I've never done that on Memorial Day-maybe one of these years I'll have to.
Post a Comment