Today was our annual “Day of Remembering.” No, you didn’t read your calendar wrong, and yes, it is a week late. But with my work schedule and family being in town, we didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate last Sunday…so today became September 20 for us, regardless of what the calendar may say.
We began our day in the usual fashion: meeting at Restland for a bittersweet time of memories and reminiscing. This, by far, is the hardest part of the day for both of us, as seeing his name etched on that marker seems to remind us of the vacancy his death left in our lives.
I am in charge of choosing the flowers each year, and it’s always an interesting task to find flowers that are just right: the right colors, the right arrangement, the right size. Trey and Crisana both had a hand in choosing this year’s bouquet, and I must say they did a great job:
We took turns photographing each other by the gravesite, allowing us some time with our own thoughts. Time to reflect on the life he lived, the impact he had, the man he was to each of us. Time to remember, to grieve, to celebrate the glory he is enjoying now.
Then it was time for the annual walk. Dad was buried in a beautiful area of the cemetery, right next to a creek that winds down to a small waterfall and fountain. As we walked, we talked…about Dad and what we remembered, the things that made him so special to each of us. This year’s topic: “What would you say to him right now?” And all I could manage was simply, “I miss you.”
After a few tears, it was time for one final picture. Right near the waterfall, just before the fountain, there’s a nice shady spot with a bench where we can set up the perfect photo op. It’s the only way we can get a picture of the two of us together. It’s always an adventure getting the picture, but it makes us laugh. And after all the emotion of the day, that release was just what we needed.
We headed off to lunch at Black-Eyed Pea (one of our faves) and enjoyed great conversation and great comfort food. I admit, I fall off the South Beach wagon as soon as I enter the restaurant. How can I resist those warm rolls and freshly-baked cornbread? Normally, we would head to Mom’s to work on our project, but we finished the albums last year and hadn’t had time to prepare for this year. So we spent the afternoon preparing for next year instead. Our next project will be to create a scrapbook of the David L. Edwards awards presentations at the Seminary, so we spent the next hour at Michaels, selecting the perfect book, papers and embellishments. We’re thrilled with our choices and can hardly wait until next year to get started!
September 20…a day of Remembering, but also a day to create new memories. A day to celebrate a life well lived and look forward to living our own. A day to grieve and mourn and laugh and rejoice. A day to preserve the past and prepare for the future. A day that is truly special, in every way.
Just like my Dad.