Sunday

Ashes to ashes

I received my father’s ashes this weekend. I got about half of a sandwich bag full and also a necklace with a locket that you put a pinch of ashes in. It’s shaped like a heart, reads : Dad. Always in my heart.

My surprise news is that the oldest boy, his wife and my Grandson will be here this week to meet the newest member of the family. 

We will all be together on the 4th of July. The plan to memorialize my dad is to have everyone gather, tell a story about my dad, take a shot of Jameson’s ( my dad was Irish too.... oddly, that’s my bio last name as well) and pour one out for my dad. A good old fashioned Irish tribute. 

I’d been FaceTiming the grandkids, which I do nearly daily, when afterwards my husband pulled up a chair to face me. His face was solemn and he’d recently been exposed to Covid again so I thought he was going to tell me something bad. Then he took out a white box from behind his back and placed it in my lap. I was confused. I wondered if he’d gotten something for me. I looked at the box and on the side it read “ Memorial Jewellery” and

I sobbed. I don’t know what I’d expected the container to look like but it hadn’t even crossed my mind. 

It took me a long time to open it. I didn’t want to see my dad as ashes. That makes it real. It looks so similar to sand we’ve gathered from Hawaii, Jamaica, the Caymans, even Oregon. Yet, completely deferent.  My mind couldn’t, wouldn’t grasp it. 

Q&A next time

Me