Flowers
My friend Imrana called from Delhi to say how sorry she was about Mom. During the conversation, she asked me to put a flower on her grave from her. I told her we weren’t doing flowers. That we had asked people to send contributions to Karuna Vihar instead. “Oh, Jo,” she said. “We always need […]
Moving On
I am still in the US with Dad. We spend almost every waking hour together and I continue to feel so grateful for this chance to be with him. He is a brave man. In spite of his age (86) and his enormous loss, he continues to smile and make jokes. He knows we want […]
And now for something completely different . . .
The day of Mom’s funeral. Lucy still in her black dress, Owen, her nine year old son, still in his shirt and tie (the hat was his own addition). Lucy wanted to kiss the beloved boy. He had other ideas. I love the “life goes on-ness” of this one. Of all the grandchildren, Owen and […]
The Funeral
What a final thing the funeral is. We can no longer avoid the stark reality of death, the glaring fact that the person who was once our life, our sweetness and our hope, is no longer among us. For me, the rituals were incredibly helpful. The prayers, the actions, the symbolic ways in which we marked […]
The Wake
Wakes are hard. There is the person you love so much, lying in a coffin, and here is this whole line of people filing by solemnly, tears in their eyes, groping for the right words to say, wishing they could take your sorrow away but knowing there is no way that will happen. Mom’s wake […]
Jay Buys His Aunt a Dress
My cousin Jay is one of my favorite people, and in spite of our meeting only once in ten years, we have a deep connection. He is a Little Brother of Charles de Foucauld, an order whose members take vows of lifelong poverty and whose work is to live among the poor, living and working […]
And from Cathleen . . .
Visiting Grandma and Grandpa was always one of my favorite things to do when we’d come to the US for summer vacation- we would have “serious” discussions , take a tour of the old battleship in Fall River and then settle down with a nice cup of tea.I remember the times when I was little […]
Ravi’s Tribute to Mom
Isn’t this beautiful? Mom will be remembered as a gracious, gentle, wise and kind person. She was always concerned about the happiness and well-being of others. When I first met met her, I was so struck by her qualities that I said to myself,”If Jo (her daughter) is anything like her, then I would like […]
Patricia McGowan, RIP
I want to share Mom’s obituary with all my friends. Patricia (MacGill) McGowan McGOWAN, PATRICIA (MacGILL) age 84, of Providence, RI formerly of Somerset passed away Sat. June 21, 2008 at her residence. She was the wife of Dr. Owen T.P. McGowan to whom she had been married for 54 years.Born in London, […]
Mom
Mom died on June 21st at around 10 AM. I heard the news at the airport with Anand and my brother Christopher. We got home soon after and spent the afternoon at her bedside, gazing at her now still and peaceful face, telling stories and remembering. Dad is alternately brave and bereft.I am so glad […]