Gram B

It's good to be home with family. Gram B passed away early in the morning Friday. Nam, wonderful Nam, arranged my flight to Minnesota and called my office to let them know I'd be taking leave this coming week to spend the week with the family. Though a sad reason to be here, I felt this feeling of relief upon getting into Duluth. I was finally where I could comfort and be comforted by my family, share memories of the good days with Gram, and to say our goodbyes.

Today I went with George, Beverly, Sandy, Peggy and my mom to Bell Brothers funeral home. We sat with one of the funeral directors while he walked us through the memorial, the choices that had to be made, and those that Gram had already made for us years before. The morning was full of laughter and tears as we thought about how Gram would want to be remembered, and how her memorial could reflect that. Later this afternoon, taking comfort in a lasagna Kathy brought over yesterday, we spoke with Rev. Jeff who would be leading the service.

We spent time pouring over old photographs from my parents basement looking for a suitable photo for her obituary. (The obit will appear in the Sunday Duluth News Tribune, I'll post a link when its available.) What could have been another sad moment, was instead a time to laugh and remember the wonderful memories those photos captured. They even showed Gram in a light I'd not often seen - here I'm thinking of the photo of Gram sunbathing while on vacation with Peggy and the one where she has a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other! The many sides of that woman will never cease to amaze me.

Though it was difficult for me, I chose to be a part of this day, of this planning process. I said my goodbyes to Gram this past summer, and the Christmas before that. This helps me have my closure. I'm happy to be home with my family.