Retail Therapy ? A New Grief Therapy and Unsung Heros of theDay

Really retail as a a grief therapy is not a new concept but the type of retail therapy that I had to do yesterday was not the sort that you enjoy. You don't pick out jewelry, the correct size of shoes or even worry about the "does this dress make my butt look fat ?".

No, I was looking for a burial plot for D and I thought we had it in the ground so to speak. WRONG - made an appointment to meet with Mike from the city who runs the Bluff Cemetery. If you didn't know this it is owned by the City of Springdale. They don't work on the week-ends and if you don't have a burial plot, well you can't very well finalize funeral arrangements if you don't have a place for the body. One of the last thing's D had told me was to put in him in a BIG, SQUARE BOX and BURY it DEEP. Having specific instructions from the love of my life, I called Jill and the boys.

We are off on an adventure never knowing just how big an adventure this will turn out to be. LIFE is truly what you make it. RICHARD the Tom-Tom is talking to us giving us directions, (we knew where we were going, but remember this is an adventure) the boys are chatting in the van and Jill and I are preparing for retail therapy. We get to Bluff and meet Mike. Guess what there are 2 - 2 person plots left !!! That's right only 2 - 2 person plots left. Everything else is sold. IF you want to be buried together. I said "oh YES !" wanted to say something else, but that is not appropriate.
He showed us the plots, let's just say that that going to the cemetery has never been one of those things our family has done but if it had to be were we put D, we probably wouldn't be encouraged to go for sure ! Our traditions are changing. We go to Bo's graveside and we will go to D's but probably NOT here.
Jill looked at me and I looked at her. I said I would get back with Mike before the end of the day and out of there we went.
Off to the van we raced practically knocking each other down and trying not to be ungracious at the same time.

OK GOD ! Jennifer Gray - #1 unsung Hero of today - has provided us with a listing of the cemetery's of the area. Grabbing a pencil and phone we forge ahead. Off to get gas, Jill drives to the Kum & Go, we pray, we just lift this mess up to the LORD. Let me tell you struck out a few times at first, then I took a breath, lifted my eyes to Heaven and quietly said "LORD, show me the way. Guide and direct me, give me the place to go and give me peace."

Jill had taken Carter Dean in the store bet you can't guess why, you got it he had to go to the bathroom. I sent Ian Colby in with money for sodas and while there in the bathroom, Carter Dean is crying for a drink, Jill's explaining she didn't bring her wallet in and Ian comes running in waving the money "look what I got" and Carter Dean starts screaming all the time while he is trying to pee. ADVENTURE !

I am in the van make phone calls as fast and furious as I can, getting no answers, some really stupid questions and responses. There is one business listed for a cemetery and when you ask them if they are overseeing the cemetery they put you on hold come back and say "I'm not sure if the person who handled that is here anymore, or if she'll be back? do they mean ever? or the person that asked - Why do you want to know? Guess I am just over sensitive.

Anyway back to the ADVENTURE - Wayne from Wilson Cemetery returns my call and as soon as I hear his voice on the line I know in my heart that he is the man that GOD has sent to answer our prayers. It is a GOD MOMENT. I had never heard of Wilson Cemetery, but when he tells me where it is, and says he can meet us there all he has to do is put his boots on I know D would have really liked this man.

Wilson Cemetery is on Monitor road as we turn across from the old Monitor school house, I notice the yellow buttercups - D would say jonquils and we would have a teasing match about daffodils. It reminded me of our four-wheeling trips and the times he picked those flowers for me. As you travel up the hill, you see the white curved iron sign that you drive under, there is a covered pavilion with old church benches, an outhouse, a gravel road. The cemetery sits on the top of a hill. As we curve around, there standing next to his truck is Wayne - another unsung Hero !

It is beautiful here. Trees line the outer grounds, a cow pasture on the other side, an old trailer house on one side. It is a private committee owned cemetery. Wayne's daughter, grandparents and other family members are buried here. It is loved and cared for by many. As we are standing here talking to Wayne, the boys jump out of the van and you got it enjoy nature's bathroom on the other side. ADVENTURE !!!

Today GOD is GREAT ! Retail therapy - Plots B 3-4 prayed, purchased and paid for.

AMEN !There are lessons to be learned here. No matter what grounds (tee hee) you think you have covered, unless you have your plots bought and paid for, don't forget to take care of that when you are taking care o

It was an exhausting day to say the least. There were many more unsung heros. There was the ordeal of seeing D in his casket for the first time. I must say what I thought would be an horrible ordeal turned out to be something else thanks to Jill and Jennifer but that is for another blog entry. I managed to sleep last night from sheer exhaustion and realized I remember nothing of the night. GOD was good to me last night. Now I pray for strength for the day. GOD will be good today too, HE always is !

f the other arrangements. It isn't as easy as just going down the street.