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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

the journey of 1300+ miles . . . each way























when i received word early sunday morning that my gramma had passed, beau and i quickly reorganized the week and made plans to journey home. it's been a whirlwind of a week leaving moi emotionally exhausted, yet INCREDIBLY grateful. the numerous notes via facebook, twitter, and via e-mail have been so supportive. merci beaucoup times 100!

we decided to road trip it and brought louis along for the adventure. attached are photos of my backseat "office" (note laptop, goosedown pink blanket, tranquilista manuscript, damask ideas book), beau and louis enjoying their first trip to a sonic drive-in (yay cheese tator tots!), a quick stop at graceland to get a photo and hit the loo, and louis enjoying the journey from the front seat. we arrived late tuesday night to the tunes of country and an amazing oklahoma sky.

today was the funeral. j'adore my nephews and eat up "bad boy" carson (forced by moi to sit on my lap - yep, weird auntie). this photo was taken at the luncheon before the funeral. seeing gramma was very hard on me. it's never easy, as the finality of death is so hard to grasp. she's been a part of my life in some capacity for almost 36 years. i know it must be especially hard on my father to lose his last parent. the final photo is us laying her to rest where beau served as a pallbearer. we'll stay one more day with family and then start our 2-day, 1300+ mile journey back to dc.

life is tricky. fleeting actually. the trivial things that are so consuming fall away in the face of finality. at times like this, i find it important to contemplate ways to show love each and every day. reach out and let someone know you are thinking of them. thank someone for making a difference in your day. cut out an article for a friend. write a snail mail letter and enclose a tea bag or small gift. remember birthdays. make amends. forgive. let go. hug. cry. be kind. smile. always do your best.

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6 comments:

Susan said...

Really touching... hope you're doing okay, sweetie.
Big hugs,
sue

Sarah said...

Thanks for sharing your experience, good and sad. I love how you created a makeshift office in the back of the car while Louis had a frontseat thrown! I also love the face he is making in the photo with Tim. Enjoy time with your family!

Vienna said...

Thank you for sharing your kind and inspiring comments. I definitely agree with your last paragraph on how important is to feel and show love every day. There is nothing more important in life and nothing easier to forget in our sometimes hectic lifestyle. You have made me think on my grandma who passed away when I was 18. She left an immense legacy of wisdom and love, which I am so grateful for.
Look after yourself.
Hugs,
V.

Gina said...

I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing the journey with us.

Miracle said...

I am so sorry for your loss Kimberly. Thank you for sharing a beautiful blog with us and reminding us of the important things in life.

Pink Heels said...

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. It was always a wonderful treat to read your blog posts that incorporated your gramma's pearls of wisdom.