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MY LIFE IN VIGNETTES
Bow Wave
A bittersweet reflection
We buried Dad last week.
He’d died in January, just a few weeks before his 95th birthday. His ashes had been on my sister’s mantle since the funeral service a few weeks later.
Our family gathered at the grave site in Middlesboro, Kentucky, where my mom, his first wife, was buried. My cousin Carl, a Baptist minister, presided over a short service.
We sang Amazing Grace and then watched as the urn of ashes was sealed in a burial container, placed in the ground near Mom, and covered with rocky brown soil.
Afterward, we gathered at a nearby restaurant for a chance to be together before we dispersed.
The trip home from Kentucky was long and hot. I hate driving, and I hate long road trips. So, it was a relief to get home.
As we were unloading the car, a rainbow formed for us over the house, and I had to smile to myself. I couldn’t help but think it might be a message from beyond.
Later, I sat by myself and thought about the short trip. I thought of Mom, who had gone ahead several years…