Her Grave Marker Is in Place ...

This evening, when the dog and I visited Momma's grave, I was surprised and ... in a way at least ... very glad to see that Mom's grave marker is now in place (!)

Somehow every step like this feels like one more nail in a coffin I never thought I'd see nailed shut. Oh my. But it looks nice, I think, it really does. Oh Momma. I think she would like it. I think.

I called my aunt and had a wonderful conversation with her. She said that when she was a child, she and lots of kids in Hornersville would, for something to do, visit one of the two cemeteries there. One's on the North side, one on the South side. She said Momma often went with them too. They would read the epitaphs and inscriptions and Bible verses, and look at the etchings and pictures sometimes a part of those old time grave markers. They found these fascinating, she said. And she said Momma did too. My aunt said she herself must have read them all hundreds of times.

My oh my. Sounds ... yet again ... as if I have something I never even knew I had in common with Momma ...

How many times have I gone for walks in cemeteries in Knoxville and here in Tulsa ... and read the inscriptions again and again. So many times. Am I crazy? Well maybe. But oh what great fruit for meditation in those visits to these wonderful reminders that "here we have no lasting place" ... these wonderful places, as well, of celebration of the lives of so many of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us. I think one of the greatest gifts of my own strolls among the dead has been the wonderful reminder of my own connection ... all of our connection ... to the Body ... as the Theology of the Body of Pope John Paul II reminds us ... we are all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. Oh my ...

But what a wonderful thing that your marker is in place, Momma. Spooky was with me and we both admired and thought about you. Spooky made some paw prints on the muddy surface of your grave and I just know that you would be absolutely delighted. How many times did Spooky, coming in from a muddy afternoon, to be brushed by you, Momma, how many times did you find muddy pawprints on your pink jacket ... and you'd say, "Oh you ...!" and then would explain to her, once again, that she's the prettiest girl in town ... :-) ...

Oh my dear dear dear Momma ... oh God oh God oh God ... how I miss you Momma ... the lights are on the Christmas Tree now Momma and I'm looking at them ... and how I miss you not being here to look at them too ... I turned on the lights tonite and looked at the tree and said "Oh this is the prettiest Christmas Tree we've ever had" and thought oh if you were only here so we could say this to each other and laugh and carry on ...

I love you Momma ... I miss you so much ...

Oh my Jesus please please please please take good care of my Momma ...

I love you Jesus.

Love,

Charles Delacroix
Feast of St Peter Canisius