tHE MORTUARY

Casket Spray

Death

What comes to mind when you think of death? Do you think about a loved one? The inevitable? Perhaps you think about your pet who has passed. Or maybe, it’s the dead animal on the side of the road. Death comes at us in all forms. Most of us has had some exposure to death. I’m not sure if I really know when my first experience with death was, but I think it was pretty young, when our dog, Chanel died. Death is sad, but it is also part of life. A year ago, I lost my Granny. Well, not lost, because we always knew where she was, at all times, since she was home in bed. Lost is a funny word to use for death, right? It’s not like you lost an earring, or your socks. This person, is just simply not with us any more. Expired, moved on, but never lost. I do have a funny story later about actually losing someone.

Granny

Anyway, back to Granny. She was such a lovely soul, and I had the pleasure of being part of the rotation of family members that would stay with her during the day and overnight. We took care of her, got her anything she wanted (she loved hot dogs, and her bourbon). There was something really lovely about taking care of her. She never complained about her situation, and always was up for a good laugh. Granny was fortunate to die at home, with her family (if we can all be so lucky someday), and honestly, it was really nice and peaceful. When someone dies at home, you have to make several phone calls. The hospice nurse, her doctor, and of course, the funeral home.

The Pick Up

It had been several hours that passed between Granny’s last breath, to the funeral home arriving. This was nice, in a way. It really gave all of us time to process, say good bye, have some laughs, and give her one last kiss. I hope everyone can experience death like this. It really was so lovely. Two ladies arrive, with a cot, to pick her up. I will spare details, but they were so nice, delicate, and kind. They quietly moved her out of bed, and into their van. we said one last good bye. That was it. She was gone. The house was empty, and yet there was a sense of lightness to it. Granny had moved on, to be with her husband, and others you had preceded her. After all of this, I turned to my aunt and my cousin and said “well, I could do this!” And that, is where it all started.