Another goodbye

Last week, I posted about losing an aunt.  On Thursday, we went to the wake, and on Friday, we went to the funeral.  I spent the night at my parents' house, and I saw this little guy on the porch on Friday morning:

Seriously, how cute is this chippy?  He sat like this for at least a minute, which is a heck of a lot longer than I've ever seen a chipmunk just SIT before.  Anyway, he was a bright spot in a somber day.


And after the funeral mass, we went to the cemetery burial service, where we saw more wildlife:

That's right, turkeys.


I had actually never been to Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery before, which is beautiful and a lot bigger than I realized.

Pauline had very fitting services, and we visited Grandpa's grave in the columbarium afterward.
 

It feels like far too many goodbyes recently, but getting together with family for support is so important.  I actually wish that people had told their favorite stories about Pauline at lunch, but I guess I could have started that myself if I had wanted to.


The other thing I've realized very strongly recently is how important laughter is to me.  I love to laugh, and I realized that I have hardly laughed in recent months.  Only in the last week at work have I really come alive and begun to joke again.  It has been nice.  At Pauline's lunch and wake, I tried to make her children laugh, and I think I succeeded with each of them.  It is just so important.


I married a man who is a very good fit for my sense of humor, and of course, I was born into a family with a really bizarre, great sense of humor, as well.  I am beginning to laugh and feel like myself again.


Rire.  Rire.  Rire.