Thanks giving

Our honouring may not have been the best thing, the right thing, or the perfect thing, but it came Sunday morning.

The family gathered to break sod, dig a hole and plant a tree. Marion's and John's ashes were being laid to rest, side by side. Two small boxes didn't really seem to match the size of their lives.

Not many words were said.  Music played: Spirit in the Sky, Vera Lynn, and You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello.

But I felt Marion and John there with us, in the late morning sun.  I saw them in the kids' and grandkids' looks and mannerisms.

I love that they are laid to rest with a tree growing to mark the spot. It was Lois' suggestion, and on her property in Matawatchen.The invitation to spend Thanksgiving together and bury the ashes was appreciated.

Rob and I were keeping their remains in our den until the kids could figure out the best way forward. Marion's for more than a year, John's for more than a decade. We kept talking and trying to figure out the best thing to do, the right thing to do. Who ever knows? Likely that is why established rituals come in handy.

There really is no perfect ending, is there? Just endings, and beginnings, and all the stuff in between.

So, here's to all the stuff in between.