Gooooood Morning SuperForest!
On Monday we had a funeral for my grandfather, SuperForester John. It was the first funeral I’ve ever gone to, and it was great fun! Allow me to share…
The shindig was held on the Hanalei pier, in gorgeous Hanalei Bay.
(image via flickr user bluespf42)
We all gathered at the end of the pier, where a small table had been set up. On the table were laid out flowers, pictures of SuperForester John, his ashes (held in their temporary container), and a large American flag.
First my mother said a few words about the wonderful man her dad had been, short and sweet. Then, as Grandpa had been in the Navy, a military guard came to fire a volley of shots to honor him.
These cats were all retired armed forces guys. They travel from island to island as volunteers. They fired a few shots into the air, and then a bugler played Taps. I’ve always loved Taps, and hearing it performed by a solitary bugler on the end of the pier as we all stood in quiet reflection was incredible.
After taps was played, two more military cats folded the American flag and presented it to my mother with a few words on honor and sacrifice.
Then it was time for hula! What kind of Hawaiian event, funeral or otherwise, is complete without some fine hula?
This would have been my Grandad’s favorite bit. He was a sucker for the pretty ladies.
We had all been wearing flower leis, and to finish the event off, we broke the strings holding them together and we scattered the flowers off the end of the pier. While we were doing this, my mother sprinkled SuperForester John out onto the waves. Ashes and flowers mingled together and drifted out to sea.
This may sound strange, but watching the ashes and flowers bobbing in the lovely Pacific made me really want to jump in and swim around.
So I did!
“Come on in! The John is fine!” is what I said. One by one, the other four members of my family also jumped off the pier. Splash! went SuperForesters Susan, Graham, Willie, and Nile!
“Drink some!” said my mother, and I admit that I did indeed take a tiny sip of sea water. DNA met DNA again. Crazy.
Here’s the whole wonderfully mad family, swimming around!
It was the perfect funeral. It was odd, heartfelt, fun, poignant, everything one could hope for.
I myself would like to go exactly the same way, except preferably more hula girls.
It’s all so delightfully temporary, Y’all!
Be excellent to each other :)
Love to All,
Jackson
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