I hear the trumpets beautiful melody. The kind of song you recognize immediately. The kind with tradition and meaning. The kind of song that immediately grabs your heart and soul.
“Taps” begins and I can no longer hold in the emotion. The tears flow harder than they were before.
It is my grandfather’s funeral. My last grandparent. Now, none remain.
I can feel the tradition fade, just as the casket has been lowered into the ground.
I look around at the large crowd. My grandfather lived a long and influential life. The number of attendees makes that concept undeniable.
I watch my mother. She remains strong for those around her. She has done this before. Years before, she lost her mother and sat in the same seat she fills today. The seat of someone burying a parent.
Things are different now. A man who was wise and loving and one-of-a-kind is now gone. Lowered into the earth and out of our reach.
I’ve lost my last grandparent and another piece of my heart. I am left with memories and stories and love. We all are.
Life with no grandparents left is a harsh reality. Life with no parents left is unthinkable. Sadly, my mother now faces this reality.
As the trumpets finish, and our tears become less, I pause and reflect. Our family composition is forever changed. Roles will be shifted, authority will be divided. Responsibilities will be shared. Just like the grief.
We will share this loss. We will walk this road together, and we will be forever changed by another forever absence.
