………………”Promises Kept”………….Since the very day that Jac’s Mom passed away Jac sat in her mother’s room in our home, in a wicker chair, looking out at the Long Island Sound and wrote on legal pads to her mother….EVERY DAY with out fail…years and years of them piling up…..Not only were there these legal pads, but she and her mother saved EVERY card and letter they had given to each other, and every card I gave to her mother and to Jac…..boxes of them. The cards were from her child hood up until she passed. The letters were mostly from when Jac traveled to Europe for work…..They even saved the envelopes!………When Jac became sick, and she was thinking about EVERYTHING…..she made me PROMISE that I would BURN every pad, every letter, every photo I didn’t want to keep and every card……She said she couldn’t bare the thought of any of these ending up in the garbage in some land fill…..She said it would break her heart….I promised her I would do this……It’s been almost six years since Jac’s passing and I haven’t touched a one of them………but…….when Chris and I sat by the firepit with the beautiful full moon that Jac and I looked at, and talked about a million times….I thought this was the perfect time to start……..I really didn’t make an impact, and it will take many sittings at the fire to burn everything, but it was a start….Christopher is aware of this promise, and knows what has to be done…..Now, what to do with these ashes?……Some I will spread in the garden, and some will go into the Long Island Sound with Jac’s ashes and all of my fur babies….and eventually me……….It feels good to to keep this promise.
Louis,
These photos brought tears to my eyes. I find it all so poignant – perhaps because of the finality. I lost my husband less than two years ago and I’m suddenly acutely aware of the fragility of our world. I loved the idea of putting the ashes in the garden and sound. Comforting also to know that your wonderful nephew will carry out Jac’s wishes in case you are unable to. This must be so difficult for you.
Yes and no Donna….these letters and photos and pads etc have been sitting mostly in Jac’s mom’s room for so many many years that they are always a reminder to me of what I promised to do…As I started to burn them the weight of the responsibility starts to lift…..I still have much to do. When I start using my fire place I will continue.