A celebration of life for mom...

[Guest guest]

It's funny how things fall into place, as though someone (mom?) has a

hand in what we're doing down here...

My day yesterday:

* I sent my SO to the Memory Walk with our pledges. He took one T-

shirt and all the LBD stuff and went to the NH's table. I don't know

exactly what they did, but heard from the Activities Dir. later and

she told me " We honored her memory today with memorial stickers on

our shirts and I passed out as much information as I could. There

was alot of interest on the topics. Your work on awareness has made

a difference. "

* I went to the NH with my Aunt to clean out mom's room. Mom's aide

(her favorite, my favorite) took the time to package everything up

for us which made our visit more tolerable. I left her aide with one

of mom's flowers (her favorite - an orchard) and a thank you card.

She really went above & beyond for my mom, she cried and was so

surprised that she was gone. I think it was lucky that she was off on

Sat. so she only has the fond memories of mom. I gave mom's

activities to the NH and gave the clothes (inc. the funky socks) to

the NH to distribute. Maybe everyone will now wear funky socks

together.

* Then my sister, my SO, my two Aunts and I went to the funeral home.

As you recall, mom didn't share with us her plans. She did have

little notes of a reading, a poem, music, that she wants -- but she

had always been back & forth on the main things re: burial/cremation.

I feel she would like our plan of cremation and her ashes being

buried with dad, out into the ocean with her brother, and go with my

brother back to her beloved Dominican Republic for a Dominican

service. And this decision led us to do a Celebration of Life

ceremony vs. a wake. We declined mom being laid out for a wake.

Instead we'll have the room full of pictures of her different facets

of life: the ballerina, the teacher, the mother, the sibling, the

traveler. And since she had chosen some Swan Lake ballet music we'll

now have music during this service - I'll choose her favorite music:

ballet/classical, Bocelli, some Spanish, etc. And we went

along with this theme when we went to florist. Each 'facet' area of

pictures will have different flowers. E.g. birds of paradise will go

along with her Dominican pictures, we ordered a presentation bouquet

that will stay wrapped and lay near her ballet pictures and read " To

the Spanish Dancer " as though it was just placed down. I think mom

will love this different way of a celebration. This memorial service

will take place on Wed. from 3-8 PM.

* The mass will take place on Thursday at 10 and the family priest

who has been mom's confidant since 1979 when we first moved into

Boston will lead the mass. Meeting him this AM to discuss details.

Mom's only wish was a certain reading - but I'm sure the priest who

knew my mom so well will be able to pick the rest. And mom wants a

friend of hers to play the cello - I've put that message to him

yesterday - so hopefully he'll play his cello during the service.

* The private burial with dad will take place on Friday in Bourne,

MA -- which is near Cape Cod.

* Mom's obituary will be in the paper on Tuesday (boston.com) and I

requested that they get it into the local neighborhood paper. We've

chosen to write the in lieu of flowers, donations to go to LBDA or

Sancta House (which was a homeless shelter for women that my

mom had volunteered).

I know going through those days above will be difficult; but I'm

still feeling more relief than sadness for my mom.

Here's a funny: I had read what I was going to read at the service to

my SO and he said, " Your mom is now dancing on the clouds, while

you're dad is dancing in dog poo " LOL You have to know my dad to know

the joke. He was always stepping in dog poo - in the street, at home

w/ the family dogs, etc. Mom always said to him: " You don't even just

step in it, you DANCE in it " (b/c of the amount of dog poo all over

his shoes...) LOL

NARANJA!