Today I had lunch with my brother (the straight one) and my sister and her husband. My aunt and my step mother were also there.
I like my step mother a lot, but we have such a different history with my father than she did. Even my aunt doesn't share all of the same stories and memories as we do. While I like being with them all, I wish my other brother had been there, and I wish it were just the four of us "kids," and maybe our partners.
Mostly we talked about what's going on in our lives now. Craig's new job, what it's like living in Imperial, Greg's latest theatre enterprise.
It wasn't what I expected, but then is anything, really?
After lunch, we went to Dad's grave site. On one side it has my mother's markings, and on the other my Dad's. While it's good to have them both close to each other, it can't be easy for my step mother, who goes there quite often.
I probably won't go to my Dad's grave for quite some time. I don't like graves. Not because of issues dealing with loss, or because of creepy ghost stories. Mostly because I think they're a waste of space. I don't need a plot of land to remember my mother and father. I have my pictures, and I have my memories.
This is a picture of the house I grew up in. I don't need that either, really.
What I need are my family and my friends. (Is there really a difference between the two? The older I get, the less I think so.)
So call me. We'll do lunch.
And we'll take a picture. I want to remember you, as you are today. No excuses about your hair or your weight or the stain on your t-shirt.
Just let me take a picture. I want to remember you.
No comments:
Post a Comment