Goodbyes (and a few Giggles) for a Great Aunt

In my last post I wrote about my wonderful Great Aunt Renie, who recently passed away. Her funeral service was held at Arlington National Cemetery, which, as it turns out, merits a narrative in-and-of-itself...so without further ado, I present the "rest of the story"...

To begin, my mother, Aunt Renie's niece and closest surviving, relatively-healthy kin, was in charge of her affairs after her death. When arranging her Memorial Service, my mom knew that the entire attendance would consist of our immediate family--my parents and siblings, spouses, and whichever kids were deemed old enough to understand the proceedings. Since we all reside in Maryland, and the car trip over the American Legion Bridge to Arlington, Virginia can be...dicey at best...Mom decided to hire a limousine to bring us all to the cemetery together. Derek and Riley both had known Aunt Renie and were included in the plan, so imagine their utter jubilation when they found out they'd be riding in an actual LIMO for the first time. (Boys and cars, I tell ya, it starts early...) But first, we had to negotiate the inevitable-but-deeply-annoying "clothes drama"...as in "Riley, you must wear your khakis and polo to this event." "But Mo-om, it's too hot for long pants!" He then sat in his room for 15 minutes dressed in nothing but his underwear, holding the offending articles of clothing and pouting until I yelled at him to "Get dressed right this second!" "But why do I have to wear this?" he wailed plaintively. Through gritted teeth I answered, "Because. It's. Respectful!"  (Derek tried to be so helpful, encouragingly telling Riley how good he looked in his "formal wear", but to no avail...Of course, a full 2 minutes after he had donned the hated apparel, Riley cheerfully stated, "Oh yeah, this is more comfortable than I thought!" Grrrrr...)

However, when we arrived at the Funeral Home and spied the enormous white Expedition Limo...Oh. My. Goodness. Every other concern fled from the cousins' heads when they climbed in and began exploring the "amenities". Ooh, bottled water! Buttons to push; what do these do? Is there coffee in that thermos? Can I sit in the very back? You would have thought it was an amusement park ride on wheels. And it seemed absolutely appropriate, as I watched the kids gleefully horsing around--Aunt Renie would had herself a hearty laugh at their youthful antics. (And just maybe joined in, herself!) When we all settled, our driver, Jeff, smoothly and efficiently guided us to Arlington, where we checked in at the Administrative Office to await further instructions. While we were there, ensconced in "Family Room D" we got to watch a flat-screen TV showing a live feed of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Totally cool. Meanwhile, not-quite-8-year old Riley became a bit bored with the delay and asked, "Is it time for the party yet?" "Well, honey," I answered solemnly, "it's really more of a "ceremony". He paused a beat, then inquired with wide-eyed hopefulness, "Will there be snacks?" Um...no...but come to think of it, Aunt Renie would LOVE there to be festivities, and snacks, at a gathering to honor her memory...darn, why didn't I think to bring cheese and crackers?

At the appointed time, we moved on to Uncle Ralph's existing gravesite, where Aunt Renie would also be interred. A complement of soldiers carried her casket to her final resting spot, with fully-orchestrated military precision. It was a sight to behold, lending such gravity and importance to the occasion. Then Pastor John led us in Scripture readings and prayers, and we all placed roses on Aunt Renie's casket while saying our own silent, personal goodbyes. Out in the open air, under the hot July sun, it felt like such a lovely tribute and a fitting way to celebrate an altogether unforgettable lady. Our farewells complete, we re-situated ourselves in the limo for the drive back to Maryland. Derek and Riley and I already know that we must must visit again soon, to take in not only the full grandeur and historical significance of the National Monument that is Arlington Cemetery, but also to place flowers on the newly-carved headstone that will mark both Uncle Ralph's and Aunt Renie's final resting places. Capping off the return journey, Derek made what would have been a rib-tickling joke worthy of Aunt Renie's sense of humor: sitting between my sister and sister-in-law, he exclaimed, "Help, I'm surrounded by ants (aunts), I need some bug spray!" We love you and miss you, and I hope you're chuckling in Heaven, Aunt Renie!