These are the thoughts of a Texas transplant in West Michigan who makes his living as a newspaper reporter by evening, and a struggling novelist by day.

Monday, March 16, 2009

tombston

thursday i received word that my dad's gravestone was in place.

the last we were there in december there was a concrete divider around the edges, marking where the grave was and where the marker would go.

today my niece texted me some photos of it. not meaning to sound morbid but it looked nice and well done. i know my mom was pleased with the results.

it wide enough to cover two graves -- my mom's and my dad's. on the back side it has a ranch scene engraved in the stone, with cows. one of the cows has the number 19 on its rump. that's my dad's cattle brand. on the front of the marker are hisname and info and my mom's. in the middle is a very nice color photo of dad and mom. it's carefully sealed so the elements wo't ruin it.

when mom told me about it last week the words that came out of my mouth were, "well it's been .." and i didn't finish. i was going o say six months. i had a brain freeze. i don't know how i could have thought it'd been only six months since dad died. i guess i was thinking how time flies. in may it'll be a year and a half. how crazy that seems. in so many respects it was only yesterday when we went to the ranch and we were there for his death and funeral. i really can't believe it.

it's still a fresh wound, though. every once in awhile a piece tears off on the edge and the pain returns in a bunch.

i'm glad the gravetown is there. it completes the burial site. and i know my mom feels better now.

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