It wasn’t until Marty that I came to enjoy cats…
“Ocracoke Lighthouse” by Sue Lynn Cotton
Almost forgot to mention - we’re in Maine this weekend. Let the fun festivities begin!
View from the limousine window of the firemen’s salute to my great-grandfather as the funeral procession went by with the flag at half mast.
In all the commotion and emotion before the wake last night, for the first time in my life, I somehow ended up wearing two different shoes.
People kept saying it happened on purpose so we would have something to laugh about between tears, and we did.
Maybe it’s wrong or strange to post a photo like this, but it was the focus of my day today. Family & friends laid green carnations (and some purple) on the casket for my great grandfather after a night-long wake and morning Catholic mass.
My heart broke, but God will put it back together again.
Having a big celebration afterward helped too.
Not pictured: a granite Celtic cross atop the headstone, an Irish flag made of flowers, Pallbearers wearing emerald green ties and a limousine procession fit for a king.
[Flash 10 is required to watch video]
Not long ago, courtesy of iPhone, I took some video of my great grandfather and you can hear some of his favorite sayings in the video above…
I arrived up north today with my dad to meet our family and celebrate 98 wonderful years of my great grandfather’s unparalleled life.
Tomorrow we will have an Irish wake and on Friday, a motorcade fit for the Lt. Firefighter, politician and Credit Union founder that he was. Flags across the city will fly at half mast by order of the Mayor.
A full Catholic mass, complete with eulogy by Yours Truly, and his burial will preface the real “shin dig” at the banquet hall with music, food and of course, toasts & open bar.
After months of suffering and struggle, he is at peace, welcomed into Heaven by his parents (who died before he can remember) and his brother and sister.
My dad reminded me this morning that this isn’t a tragedy or a terrible accident. It’s the passing of time…and with it goes the ones we love.
