Skip to main content

Final Good Bye

Friday, June 25th was a bittersweet day for me.  I spent precious minutes in the company of my wife before she was cremated.  At the funeral home, a chapel was prepared where she was waiting for me.

When I entered the chapel, she was lying peacefully wearing a hospital gown.  -"Do not worry honey, I brought you a nice dress and flowers".  The funeral director helped me dress my wife for the last time.

The ceremony was a private affair.  Some of our friends and family members sent flowers and cards - I read their messages to her.  For this meeting, I created a bouquet of flowers from her garden and added to it two flowers from each floral arrangement that she received at home. Special privilege was given to her hands and she held two Ingrid Bergman red roses grown in her garden; her hands were beautiful! She looked peaceful, I am happy that the funeral home did a dignified job and I thank them for that.

For her journey, she wore one of her favorite summer dresses. She looked like a sleeping beauty. I felt sad and overwhelmed by grief, but then, all of a sudden, I felt warm and calm inside; was she talking to me? I remained composed looking at her for the rest of the time while we listen to Maria Callas's romantic songs. Only her and me; need no more.

When the clock stroked 12:15 PM, we got her ready for the next step of the ceremony, placed all flowers and cards in her coffin, and transported her some miles west from our city to where the crematorium is. There, the final goodbye, and she became ashes.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's been a Long Time Since I've Seen Her

To our daughters; I learned so much from your mother!  She was my lover and my bosom friend.    The summer of 1992 was running in earnest and Mom and I were escaping every day to many different places around the mainland.  We were having the time of our lives!  At the end of the summer, I did not have a penny left but was the happiest man alive! Mom had a white 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier station wagon.  Her car smelled like a wet dog, Sam, her dog, was the main passenger before she met me.  That car would break down every 100 kilometers or so and would run out of gas as soon as the gas red light went on, and guess who had to push; your Dad!  But, we were like peas and carrots and as happy as they came. You always tell me - " Dad, you know strange old words and expressions no one uses these days! " Your mom is responsible for that! I learned what a "Sea Shanty" is in that white Cavalier listening to CBC radio.   The station had a show on sailors and fishermen and how po
Post a Comment
Read more

Settling the Score

Today, completely out of the blue, I remembered a story from my childhood.  In my neighborhood, there was a child whom everyone called "Buchee".  This fellow was a lot older than me, about three or four years older.  Therefore, if I recall correctly he must have been a young teenager when these events happened. Buchee lived near my maternal grandparents, who lived two blocks from where I lived.  Every time I visited my grandparents I had to walk by Buchee's house and we would exchange hellos and sometimes we would tease each other lightly, nothing offensive.  I would visit my grandparents daily after school therefore I would walk the distance every day and most days Buchee and I would exchange friendly words.   One evening a group of children, including me, were playing cards on the sidewalk, a few doors from my grandparents.  These games could be very competitive and the currency used at that time was crystal marbles.  At some point, the stakes were very high and the poo
Post a Comment
Read more

Dear Love

  Dear Love, Forgive me, it has been a while since I have written to you.  It is not for the lack of news; home is buzzing with events typical of growing pains and gaining experience.  For me, it is just about missing your hands, warm body, your words; missing planning something to do together.  I must admit, you always had the best ideas. Recently I became a Master Chef , but not the kind of chef popular among all ages; oh, no!  I cook your dishes, daring, adventurous, and full of flavor!  I set the table and see you on your chair , right opposite to mine displaying my favorite smile, approving the dinner.   I remember when you made Spaghetti Tomato Bassilic for the first time.  You thought that I was not going to like it.  Boy, were you in for a surprise!  It became my favorite dinner!  You made it for me.  What a treat! Oh, Christina, you were the wife I always wanted to have!  The fact that we found each other made me feel very special.  We worked hard to be together and celebrated
Post a Comment
Read more