Writer's Block: In Memoriam
I always think of military friends who have passed (all non-combat related), however, for me, this holiday has been about remembering family.
This weekend, I always think of my dad's mom, my grandmother, who we referred to as Mormor (even though that was the incorrect word in Swedish). She wasn't military (even though she had one child, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren who were), but she showed me a way to remember family on this weekend.
Every year on Memorial Day weekend (usually the Saturday), my grandmother would do her annual shopping at the local nursery (she was an avid gardener), and then go out to the family plots in the local cemeteries to clean them up and to place fresh flowers.
Since my grandmother did not drive, the task of driving her around town generally fell to my parents, and in later years, to me. We'd start the day filling up the back of car with impatiens and begonias at a couple of local nurseries, and then spend the afternoon visiting the three local cemeteries where different branches of the Swedish side of the family were buried. We'd spend a brief amount of time cleaning up the plots, then we'd be off to the local coffee shop as a thank you from her.
This was her way of remembering our family, and for showing us young ones who (and thankfully, where) our family was. It's impossible for me to do the same on Memorial Day weekend now, but I try to visit those sites whenever I happen to be home.
This weekend, I always think of my dad's mom, my grandmother, who we referred to as Mormor (even though that was the incorrect word in Swedish). She wasn't military (even though she had one child, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren who were), but she showed me a way to remember family on this weekend.
Every year on Memorial Day weekend (usually the Saturday), my grandmother would do her annual shopping at the local nursery (she was an avid gardener), and then go out to the family plots in the local cemeteries to clean them up and to place fresh flowers.
Since my grandmother did not drive, the task of driving her around town generally fell to my parents, and in later years, to me. We'd start the day filling up the back of car with impatiens and begonias at a couple of local nurseries, and then spend the afternoon visiting the three local cemeteries where different branches of the Swedish side of the family were buried. We'd spend a brief amount of time cleaning up the plots, then we'd be off to the local coffee shop as a thank you from her.
This was her way of remembering our family, and for showing us young ones who (and thankfully, where) our family was. It's impossible for me to do the same on Memorial Day weekend now, but I try to visit those sites whenever I happen to be home.