Posting an old one I found in Drafts...
School’s winding down and I think I may be more excited than the girls. It’s not that I do not love the monotonous routine of packing snacks and hard-lined bed times, but I need a break. I need to sleep into the 6-o’clock hour. I need to go for a run in the morning before it’s 100 degrees. I need to not have to ask 100 questions about whether homework’s done, clothes laid out, lunches chosen, etc. etc. I need a break.
But I have to limit my complaints today because today, in itself, was a sort of break. I took the day off to chaperone field day and hang out with the girls after noon dismissal. I did all their chauffeuring myself today, which usually takes place while I’m at work. After allergy shots, orthodontist, gymnastics, and dance, I’m thoroughly beat (not to mention grateful for those in my life who help me raise these girls - it truly does take a village).
However, in the midst of our running today we found ourselves with a few minutes to spare and we happened to be near the graveyard where most of my family, including my grandmother after whom Pumpkin is named, are buried. The girls had never been to a graveyard, so I thought, “why not.” Now, let me say that I had no intention to turn our day into some sort of morbid field trip, but it happened and it was sort of relieving to let them be in that setting and realize there’s nothing scary or spooky about it. In fact, I find the place to be very peaceful and comforting.
We first looked for the headstones of my Mee Maw, then my grandfather, and then we went from there, looking for relatives and others with interesting stories on their stones. It was a very upbeat visit - so much so that Bug started cartwheeling over all the dead bodies. I drew the line there - it just seemed wrong.
We found the burial site of a dear cousin who had passed and whose still-living wife had her name on the plot next to his. Pumpkin was appalled - WHY IN THE WORLD would she have her name on a grave. Bug on the other hand lit up and was ready to make a down payment to assure her place for eternity next to “Sissy.”
All-in-all, I hope the visit at least took a little of the mystery and fear out of the death process. They have been fortunate not to have dealt with it first hand and I hope it is a long time before they do. But I also recognize death is a difficult and real part of all of our lives and I want them to be as ready as one can be. I don’t want them to be the people who say “I don’t do funerals.” Let’s be honest - nobody “does funerals.” If you are a human with a heart and care about the people who are left, or cared about the person who is gone, then you DO the funeral.
One other bit of comfort I take in our visit, is that while Bug was literally lamenting not having anyone to visit at a graveyard (I assured her she could visit my Mee Maw and the rest of the George gang anytime), she did remark that at least she would be able to visit me one day. At least there’s that...
School’s winding down and I think I may be more excited than the girls. It’s not that I do not love the monotonous routine of packing snacks and hard-lined bed times, but I need a break. I need to sleep into the 6-o’clock hour. I need to go for a run in the morning before it’s 100 degrees. I need to not have to ask 100 questions about whether homework’s done, clothes laid out, lunches chosen, etc. etc. I need a break.
But I have to limit my complaints today because today, in itself, was a sort of break. I took the day off to chaperone field day and hang out with the girls after noon dismissal. I did all their chauffeuring myself today, which usually takes place while I’m at work. After allergy shots, orthodontist, gymnastics, and dance, I’m thoroughly beat (not to mention grateful for those in my life who help me raise these girls - it truly does take a village).
However, in the midst of our running today we found ourselves with a few minutes to spare and we happened to be near the graveyard where most of my family, including my grandmother after whom Pumpkin is named, are buried. The girls had never been to a graveyard, so I thought, “why not.” Now, let me say that I had no intention to turn our day into some sort of morbid field trip, but it happened and it was sort of relieving to let them be in that setting and realize there’s nothing scary or spooky about it. In fact, I find the place to be very peaceful and comforting.
We first looked for the headstones of my Mee Maw, then my grandfather, and then we went from there, looking for relatives and others with interesting stories on their stones. It was a very upbeat visit - so much so that Bug started cartwheeling over all the dead bodies. I drew the line there - it just seemed wrong.
We found the burial site of a dear cousin who had passed and whose still-living wife had her name on the plot next to his. Pumpkin was appalled - WHY IN THE WORLD would she have her name on a grave. Bug on the other hand lit up and was ready to make a down payment to assure her place for eternity next to “Sissy.”
All-in-all, I hope the visit at least took a little of the mystery and fear out of the death process. They have been fortunate not to have dealt with it first hand and I hope it is a long time before they do. But I also recognize death is a difficult and real part of all of our lives and I want them to be as ready as one can be. I don’t want them to be the people who say “I don’t do funerals.” Let’s be honest - nobody “does funerals.” If you are a human with a heart and care about the people who are left, or cared about the person who is gone, then you DO the funeral.
One other bit of comfort I take in our visit, is that while Bug was literally lamenting not having anyone to visit at a graveyard (I assured her she could visit my Mee Maw and the rest of the George gang anytime), she did remark that at least she would be able to visit me one day. At least there’s that...
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