Blog : There's Trees (Just Farther Apart) — April 12, 2024
Bury the Ashes. Honor the Life. North Dakota is under my skin. It's near my heart in a way no other territory could ever be. Technically it is my origin and that of my parents. I met the world in Fargo, ND, after my mom and dad were sent home from the Peace Corps. The island doctors could not guarantee my mother's survival nor mine in childbirth. Yesterday, my mother and I drove through ND as survivors. We buried the ashes of my brother's body in the plot next to my father's grave. It wasn't designed to be a ceremony or a gathering--just a quiet moment for Mom to express her goodbyes. ♡ Yet family came. ♡ Stories were shared. Farewell letters, after fluttering away in the wind, were gathered and added to the grave. A purple and gold bouquet (Minnesota Vikings, my brother's team) awaited its part in the goodbyes, becoming windswept as well, while the sound of a storm approached. I watched my dear cousin kiss a tulip and place it in the dirt. I wept. My aunt kn...