Final Resting Place...

After a busy summer, my family finally managed to get together to lay my grandpa to rest forever by spreading his cremated remains. It was beautifully warm and slightly breezy, and we couldn't have asked for a better day. My mom's brother came from Edmonton, stopping in Calgary to pick up one of their cousins, and two more cousins came from the Regina and Assiniboia areas stopping in Swift Current to pick up some close family friends. My mom and I drove together and met everyone there. We were a small crowd, eight in total, but I felt all the right people were there (minus my mom's sister from Vancouver) to pay our last respects.

Before Saturday, I had never participated in an event like that before, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. As everyone arrived fairly cheery and in good spirits, I didn't anticipate any tears, and we proceeded our hike up to the top of the hill, just south of Gull Lake, where my grandpa wanted to be. I had the honor of carrying my grandpa on his very final journey up the hill, and I wound up being overcome with far more emotion than expected. I was filled with regret for all the times I wish I would have spent more time with him, and I wasn't ready to let go. After we released him into the wind, I felt a huge wave of relief knowing he had a good life, and was blessed with an incredibly loving family and a good large group of dedicated friends.

Although I'll miss him very much, my mind is now at ease, knowing he's finally home, resting peacefully with the rest of his family, right where he wanted to be, with a beautiful view of the prairies.