Little Things

My mother-in-law, Marie, was buried today.
Funeral processions are a caravan of cars creeping along ferrying the bereaved to the final resting place. Used to be that the cars in a funeral procession drove with their lights on. Now, since so many cars have lights that won't even turn off, we have to put our emergency blinkers on to identify ourselves as mourners. Most people will pull over and stop as a funeral procession passes, out of respect to the deceased. Some also turn on their blinkers in solidarity. I love this, I love people who take the time to do it, I love doing it myself. I don't know if everyone has this custom in their area, but I hope they do, it's a beautiful thing.
My heart was touched, by a man out pulling weeds by his mail box, or some other retired older Dude activity that makes it necessary to be so near the road, stood with his hat in his hand, held over his heart. He stood stoically in the sun, watching us pass, sharing our grief for a moment in time, suspended in memory. Little things mean a lot, that saying is true. The smallest gesture often speaks the loudest.


Now on to another little thing I fell in love with today.

This is Kyle. Isn't he just insanely precious? He is the newest edition to this loud, rambunctious wonderful group of people. Isn't he lucky?

Life, like the seasons in a year, must follow a pattern. Babies are the Springtime. Fresh and new, they signal the beginning of the circle. Kyle's Mom and Dad are summer. Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high. They've got their whole life ahead of them, and I wish them the best. Life is wonderful when you love your partner and you've got a new baby.
Me, I'm in the Autumn of my life, but very teeny tiny early autumn. I'll be 50 this year. I can't believe I'll be 50 this year, I still feel so summery. My hair is getting grayer everyday, like leaves on a tree turning into fall foliage.
Come for me slowly, Winter, I got things I need to do before I reunite with those who have gone on before.