Today we begin the services for my dad. A wake tonight and the funeral tomorrow. That will conclude the formal part of his passing and slowly life will regain normalcy and people will carry on. But for me and my family, we'll be thinking of him every day always remembering his funny stories and useful advice.
Yesterday I set up a Go Fund Me page in his memory. Rather than flowers, we thought we could ask for donations to his school which is now J's school. The school will use the funds raised in his name to help students whose families may need help with miscellaneous costs such as field trips or technology fees. If there's enough, I'd also like to see it go to the teachers - so they can buy some useful things for their classrooms. They give so much to the students and earn so little. He would love that and I can feel him beaming with pride as a family that needs a little relief is offered it in his name. I also chuckled at the Go Fund Me page. He would remind me, as he had a few times, "Mare, you were born in '81 - that makes you the first year of the Millennial Generation!" He was born in 1946, the first year of the Baby Boomers. ...he would likely go on to tell me about an article he read about the founder of Go Fund Me. He never lacked information!!!
So, today we formally say goodbye. But he is never gone. I'm reminded of this picture that my brother in law took from my dad's place while we were in the hospital on his last night. Likely the exact time he passed. I call it, ascension into heaven. Rest in eternal and heavenly peace, dad. I love you so much.
Say not in grief that he is no more
but say in thankfulness that he was
A death is not the extinguishing of a light,
but the putting out of the lamp
because the dawn has come.
Rabindranath Tagore
