The Last Detail

Yesterday was mom's interment ceremony. We were all nervous as we had never had a funeral at a Military Cemetery before.  This was something new for all of us. Mom wasn't military but since dad was she could be buried at Bushnell Military Cemetery with dad eventually placed next to her in the same vault.   We arrived early which we thought was a "good" thing. Turns out not, and the guard told us to go wait somewhere till it was our appointment time.  A little gruff but since this place handles several dozen burials every day they had to do it in an orderly fashion.  There would be no pushing to the front of the line.

When it was our turn the very nice director took us to a little covered area where we could all do personal stories or reflections.  At that point we were supposed to hand off her remains to the director and then part ways. But he made a phone call and got special permission to have us watch her interred.  He placed her in the vault, and sealed the door shut. There was a vase we could use and water for our cut flowers and Kaity placed them in front.  I'm so glad he made that phone call as it was a special moment of closure for all of us especially dad.   I don't know why he did this for us, maybe because dad is a World War II veteran and there are hardly any left. Or maybe dad crying when he spoke about his bride of 70 years. I don't know what the trigger was but we were all so thankful!

Then we all went to eat together and back to my home. It's funny but when my tile disaster was going on I felt so much pressure to finish it! I didn't know why, although I am not the most patient person in the world but this was extra.  I knew it had to get done, no tripping over unfinished tile or climbing over furniture stuck where it should not be, who knew that just a few weeks later I would be having my dad live with us.

He has been here over a week now and as long as he has three meals a day and his big TV in his room to watch all the sports he's happy.  He is very low maintenance. 

We have been getting little signs and symbols every day now that mom is with us. Today while at Publix we stopped a man with a World War II hat on. The man said he was in the Navy, dad said he was too!. Then he said he was in the amphibious forces, dad was too. On an LST, so was dad!  With hundreds of WWII vets dying every day what are the chances at that exact moment he would meet someone who was not only a WWII vet but on an LST just like him.  Jim thought that was a very strange coincidence and I did too.

We saw a promising yard sale sign and thought we would stop there on the way home. I saw ladybug champagne glasses.  I showed dad and the woman asked who we knew that liked ladybugs. We told her about mom. The woman said that's a sign.  We know...