We had my Grandmother’s services on Friday, March 13, 2009. The weather couldn’t have cooperated more. It was a beautiful clear day. The temperature got up to 60 degrees F and the wind was very calm. The day started off with everyone having coffee, whether it be Starbucks or the old fashion kind that Ma made through the coffee pot, and McDonalds. Yes we had fast food. Too much work to do and hey, sometimes it taste great. Then the work started. Timmy, Connor and I cleaned the outside of the house, raking up all the leaves in the front and back of the house and washing the windows in the front room. Ma, Jane and Emily cleaned the inside of the house and set up all of the items needed for the services. You know, vacuuming, dusting, making sure everything was in it’s proper place and setting up the food and drink.
- Connor, Laurie, Ma, Me, Timmy, Jane and Emily
Around 12:30, Kippie, my aunt, and Julie, my cousin, Kippie’s daughter
- Kippie and Julie
arrived with most of the food and the first set of 91 balloons. We put everything where it belonged and Kippie and Julie left to go get ready, pick up Uncle Bob and everyone here at the house started to get ready. Around 2 pm my sister, Laurie and Renee arrived
- Laurie, Ma and Renee
and we opened a beer and began to remember my Grandmother and Grandfather.
- GM and GF
After a while everyone had arrived and we all just talked about the past, present and future.
- The Family
We all went outside after a while, I would say around 4 pm and gathered around with Ma and Kippie holding the one red balloon for GM and everyone else with a white balloon. A total of 91. Of course, me having the loudest and biggest mouth asked if anyone had anything to say and I just remembered my grandmother and then those that wanted to say something followed. The tears were there on many and with that Ma and Kippie let the red balloon go and we all followed suit with our white balloons.
- Ma and Kippie with the red balloon
- Balloons being released
After all the hugs and watching the balloons go high into the sky on their journey to eternity we all came back into the house had the sandwiches, salads, chips, cake and just continued to reminisce.
- Toasting before Dinner
People started to leave later in the evening after a wonderful afternoon. It was a wonderful send off for my Grandmother and now she is with my Grandfather forever more. My Mom later said and I do believe this is how many people feel, when my Grandfather passed it wasn’t as final or seemed surreal because Grandmother was still with us. Now that she has passed, it is like a final chapter, an end of an era has happened to our family. She was a great Mom, Grandmother, Great and Great Great Grandmother and friend to us all. She will be forever missed but remain, as does Grandfather forever in our hearts.
We love you both!!!
- Kippie and Ma: Their thoughts as they say goodbye and watch the balloons and their final journey from home to all eternity.
Hey, It’s Just My Opinon
A Hui Ho
That’s a nice blog and the pictures look really good.
Thanks Timmy. It was so good to be with you and the rest of the family. Love You
I love the celebration and remembrance with the balloons. Beautiful.
Thank You Nessa…it was something else. I do appreciate your very thoughtful words. It means a lot to me.
Very sweet, Thom. Thank you for taking all those sweet pictures. Love you.
Love you to. It was so good being with you. You are a jewel and I’m lucky to have you as my sister-in-law.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful celebration of life. Your GM and GF have left an awesome heritage and as such, will continue to live on.
And Quilly that’s exactly what it was. When I get home I’m going to put all the pictures on Flickr. I’m glad I stayed over as I’m the only one here now with my mom and I think she needs some company up here at the house right now. The rest of the family had to get back for work, so it’s beyond their control. It was so good being with them all.
A Beautiful Tribute to your GM and GF. It’s as if the Balloons went to Heaven. I am sure your GM and GF were looking down at all the Love being shown.
You Take care of your Mum, she will need you now.
Thank you Bill for your words. Very thoughtful and yes we will look after Ma
Thom,
It was nice to see the pictures and hear about Ruth’s service. I am sure there were plenty of great stories to tell during the reminiscing. A beautiful day for your family to be together, I am sure your grandmother and grandfather were smiling.
Bill and Kelley
Bill and Kelley. Yes it was great. Mom wanted me to thank you for the wonderful card and the thoughts that you put down. She appreciated it greatly and sends her love. Wish you could have been there.
Sorry, Thom, for your loss.
maryt/theteach: Thank you so much for your thoughts. I really appreciate it
releasing the balloons was a great touch and a wonderful farewell.
great tribute
Thank you Juliana…I appreciate your thoughts
This was a beautiful tribute Thom. I honestly have tears in my eyes. Love the idea of the balloons and 91 of them speaks volumes to a long and lovely life.
Thank you Carletta for your kind words. I really do appreciate it.
this is the first minute i have had to look at this. thom it was wonderful to see the pictures and read your moving words. it made me teary eyed when i read it.. our whole family was so lucky to have those two in our lives for so long. they were the rocks the family was built on and they taught all of us good moral values and ethics… i will miss them both forever and someday i hope to be with them again. thanks so much thom for that tribute to them. love you, ma xoxoxoxoxxo
You are sure correct ma. And what is even the best is you are our rock
Wow, what a wonderful way to say “Later” to your grandmother. It sounds like she was a wonderful woman who will be very much missed. My condolences to you and your family. I love the way you all released the balloons.
Alice thank you so much for your thoughtful words. It means a lot to me and my family.
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It was a marvelous service. I am the luckiest person in the world to have such a great family. We will miss Grandmother so very much. I love all of you very much and I will treasure our time together this weekend.
We all are lucky