What’s Wrong with this Picture? Part I

Don’t judge....and it’s nobody’s fault.  The stars were in alignment for a atypical, funny, wonderful burial.  Yep....laughter, love, joy, mud, dirt and my family.  I can’t imagine my life in any other way.  Look for the silver lining in any cloud-- you’ll see it and appreciate the wonders of our universe.  To piggyback on one of my favorite county songs, “God is great, Beer is good, and People are Crazy!”
and damn it, Momma’s burial fit right in with the crazy.

Mom passed away in January.  We knew then that we wanted a nice Iowa SUMMER day for the internment of her ashes.  My brothers and I spent the spring getting the gravestone reworked and we set a date of June 27 for her burial.  It was going to be simple.  Sweet.  Personal.  Mom and Dad would be together after 45 years apart.

The immediate family planned to meet in State Center for a 9 a.m. ceremony.  (That time was crazy in the first place--we were coming from various places and the logistics would have given Eisenhower a migraine.)  I didn’t get to State Center until 10 and I had Mom riding shotgun with me (Momma loved riding in the front seat of the 4-Runner.  Even at 90 years old, she could still hop right in.)  Jim’s clan wouldn’t be arriving until noonish so our plans were changing moment by moment.

But, we knew everything was cool.  Dan and Kim had visited the cemetery on their way into town that morning and had even taken pictures of the grave.  It was deep and very nicely dug.  We were
good to go.  Jim had fastened a macrame structure for lowering the urn into the ground.  On point!  We met at the family home and at noon we left for the burial.

Our small caravan drove to the cemetery in our birth order.  It was a beautiful Iowa day.  The wind was gently blowing.  The sun was shining brightly.  Flowers were blooming.  We were together for Mom’s send off.

As I drove into the cemetery, I marveled at the lot we had chosen when my dad had passed away in 1970.  You can see our home from that site.  It just made me feel good.  Everything was just perfect.  (Note:  Whenever this feeling passes your way, we afraid.  Be very afraid.)

I got out of the car, picked up the urn, and walked to the grave.

Oops.  No empty hole.  It had been filled in.

“Houston, we have a problem!”

As Dan, Kim, Jim, Jody, Erin, Charlie, and Annie walked towards the grave, I stated, “The hole has been filled in.”  Everyone doubted me....they all came, looked and stated, “The hole has been filled.”

One brother asked the group, “Anyone got a shovel?”

To Be Continued