22-10-2008 - My Grandma\'s funeral

My mood while writing this blog: sad

Some of you might have read about my grandma's last days and sent prayers for a peaceful ending. Thank you for your prayers.

My Mum sent me this email about her funeral. It sound's beautiful. I wish I could have been there with my family.

andre went outside and was standing on the balcony with his back to the crowd because he needed some time to compose himself before speaking to anyone and adam and cin were with him. he said they all looked down at the same time to see the hearse leaving the garage to take mum to the crematorium and they all spontaneously said goodbye. he said it was really touching.

later we all went to the local pub to have a drink. most of the people there were friends of the family. mary the catholic celebrant came - i was so glad she could come because she was such a comfort to mum. they would say the rosary together. mum's face would light up every time she saw mary. the only other friend of mum was a lady called monica who would visit mum. i can't remember how they met but i met her a couple of times and she was such a lovely lady - she is in her 40's and from america. i probably won't see her again but i gave her one of mum's elephants as a memento. some of the carer's from the home wanted to come but one of them told me that because the funeral was on monday they may not be able to make it.

a few people from work came and they all said it was such a great idea to have the slide show so they got to know a bit about mum and what she looked like. carla put her heart and soul into making sure the funeral was a great send off for mum.

i don't know if i told you that when mum was dying one of the carer's put some lavender in an oil burner in her room because lavendar is meant to help relax and calm you. but one of the nurses didn't realise that the bottle didn't have a dropper and tipped the whole bottle into the burner so that you could smell the oil almost from the dining room. after she died i was in the kitchen at home and kept getting a whiff of this lavender oil and i remember wondering where it came from and thinking that it will take a while before i stop associating the smell of lavender oil with mum's dying. then i was writing in my journal and went to get a drink and the smell was overwhelming and all of a sudden i thought mum was with me. i told her that i didn't need comforting because i was happy she was at peace and that she should comfort carla because she was so distraught. but then i thought that mum had come to me to thank me for spending all that time with her comforting her and reassuring her. I told her i would be with her and i was and i think that mum understood that and was thanking me. Everytime I think of mum now, I see her running through long grass on a beautiful summer's day and she is just laughing and laughing with joy and delight. I don't know where the image is coming from but it makes me smile. i know she is just so happy to be able to walk again!

Carla is my mum's little sister and Andre and Paris are her younger brothers. Nansy is my grandma. Adam and Cinamon (cin) are my brother and sister.