Mother's Day

mother's day rocked my world. i love it. it came at just the right time this year. we celebrated papa's life saturday. i started the day of the funeral with dread, not ready for the finality of it all. but as the service progressed and i listened to family and friends describe my grandfather with such accuracy and beauty, i felt my broken heart began to mend. i know it is just the beginning of the process.

at the graveside i noticed this elderly gentleman, about five feet tall dressed in a brown polyester suit. he looked to be about ninety. i wasn't sure what the connection to papa was, most of papa's close friends have already passed or are living in california. i watched out of the corner of my eye during the military presentation. he was sobbing. he made his way up to my mother afterward, he tried to explain how he knew my grandfather, but he couldn't quite get the words out through his sobs. justin approached him a few minutes later, the old man's eyes were still wet with tears. he explained to justin he knew my grandfather because they were in the same central oregon naval battalion. he had enjoyed listening to papa talk about his experience in the war and they had formed a friendship. he had found out about the death through the paper. i was again touched by how far the rays of papa's sunny disposition reached. 

this gentleman, roy was his name, also said something interesting. roy thought it was funny how on a headstone they list the dates from birth to death, yet that doesn't really tell you anything. he said if we could only unpack that dash between the numbers, that is where the story of the life is held. in between the dash. in papa's case 1922-2010. interesting.

but that wasn't really mother's day was it? this was mother's day for me

slept in

breakfast made by the guys

massage and facial at jinsei spa with my mom, aunt, and cousin

mother's day was perfect.