Laying my father to rest
It may be that oldest of cliches, but it also contains more than an element in truth - the only certainties in life are death and taxes. I write this having just returned from an unplanned trip to the United States, the purpose of which was to bury my father, who died late last month. He was given a military send-off in honor of the twenty-three years he served with distinction in the U.S. Army, and will be joined in death with the ashes of my mother, who passed away at Easter three years ago. Both of them lived long, fulfilling lives, though the circumstances in each of their final years were such that death was a relief from suffering.
And so the children bury their parents. Sad as that may be, it is the natural order of things, and preferable to having to do it the other way around - may it be my daughter who is the one to grieve over her parents one day. No eulogies - suffice it to say, life goes on, but the memories of those who are no longer with us will always remain...
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