Yesterday the Cousin Crew (minus Timmy) piled into our rented mini van and headed west. I was cautiously optimistic about the drive. I knew that we would be safe, but I worried that the kids would easily become bored and start bickering. To my surprise, the opposite happened.
Not only were the kids not bored during our 9 hour drive (round-trip), but they laughed, told stories and played games the entire way. The van was filled with giggles and roaring laughter throughout the drive. With the exception of when we pulled up to the cemetery, the kids were giddy and never stopped laughing. Even though it was a long drive, the fact that the kids were having so much fun definitely made it enjoyable.
I approached the cemetery with dread. The last time I visited my Dad was when his headstone was unveiled three years ago. I was disgusted by the stone that his widow picked out for him. Proudly proclaiming her name on his stone, with little mention of any other relationship in his life. was in poor taste and hurt us deeply.
To my absolute delight, it turns out that I wasn't the only one who was horrified by the original stone. Sometime in the past three years, my Dad's stone received an upgrade. Her name and wording remains, but underneath "LOVING FATHER, GRANDFATHER, AND BROTHER" is etched in black. My Dad was so much more than a husband, and I'm thrilled that his stone is now more reflective. The mystery engraver remains a mystery, although I have a suspicion as to the identity. (I know that it was not his widow.)
While the Cousin Crew was cruising in a van, Timmy was having an adventure of his own. He went with my sister and her new husband's house to swim and play for the day. He lifted weights (a favorite activity), swam in the pool, played in a lake and rode a horse. He was smiling from ear-to-ear in every photo I received and I could tell that he had a phenomenal adventure of his own.
No comments:
Post a Comment