Tuesday:
I've been consulting with my aunt about my father's gravestone, she lives there (12 hours drive away for me) so can compare gravestones in person. I think everything is decided now so I've emailed the details of the inscription to the company. It's been a bit sad, but also very funny fielding suggestions from Aunty Pat. Twice she suggested that I have my mother's name put on it; "beloved husband of Barbara"! My parents had been divorced for 40 years before they died within months of each other, mum knew as she was walking down the aisle on her wedding day that it was a mistake, and dad remarried and was with his second wife longer than mum (divorced again) and was with a new girlfriend when he died. Mum would have hated being on his gravestone! I vetoed that one politely.
I accepted all her other suggestions except the last one, to put RIP at the end. I felt that a Christian phrase was very inappropriate for such a staunch atheist as my father. My aunt is lovely but I guess she just had certain ideas about the way things should be done. And I did ask for her input! I went with most of her ideas but I'm paying for everything so I have final say when I think it's important.
I was thinking of mum today, too, as I watered the garden. She would have loved the pool and new garden, and having us live close. I miss my parents.
Your aunt sounds like she means well. But it's nice that you think about what your dad would have preferred.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your parents. We miss our folks very much when they're gone. My dad died 10 years ago and I think about him all the time.
Thanks Martha. I often think of things I want to tell my mum, then realise I can't.
DeleteMy aunt is lovely and wasn't pushy or anything, but we were both being so very polite about everything it could be hard to be assertive. I think it all worked out though.