No weddings - just a funeral

Carol's funeral was today, thus ending my "vacation." It was a nice service, and it was nice to see everyone again (well except for one person, but we won't get in to that now). In fact, I had the thought as I was getting ready to leave that it could very well be the last time I see most of the people there. I'm no longer a member of that family, and with their mother gone there isn't any kind of uniting force that is likely to draw them all together again. At least not when I'll be invited, but that's ok, I figured I'd already seen them for the last time when my ex and I split up.

The service was nice. I thought the family did a wonderful job of honoring their mother. I did feel sorry for them all, but I felt the very worst for my son. He's really struggled with this whole thing and is very upset about it. He wrote his grandma a note when he first found out she was dying, and on her request, he placed it in her hand today so that she could be buried with it. I don't know anything that was in it other than "Grandma, I love you to the moon and back." I think it made him feel special to be the only grandchild that got to put something in the casket.

After the funeral (which was in Salt Lake City), we drove about an hour away for the burial. Carol had a granddaughter who was run over and killed when she was two, and she wanted to be buried next to her. They did another little service at the grave, and afterwards the family went to a nearby church for a luncheon. Everyone left the cemetery except for me and my son who wanted to say his last goodbyes in private. It was heartbreaking to watch, but I couldn't resist taking this picture. I believe it's the saddest picture I've ever taken. Eventually the burial crew came in and we had to leave. I told my son that he could come back after they had put the casket into the ground, but I left that up to my ex. I know that he'll get through it, it's just a sad part of growing up, and unfortunate that it had to happen to him at such a young age.