Happy Birthday Mum!!!

Today was my Mums birthday. She would have been 64. So off we went, to the cemetery to wish her a Happy Birthday and drop off some roses from the front garden, and a lovely card that was handcrafted by Miss 8 & Miss 5 (nearly 6).


We put Mum's ashes there only a little while ago. She's spent the last 23 years in a very small box, mostly at Dad's house but the last 3 years at my house, next to the TV, so she can be around the cyclonic home of The Dixon's. It's actually been quite comforting having her here all those years. But we decided it was probably time to put her somewhere where she can rest!


We've explained (in the simplest of terms) to the kids about cemeteries. We've told them that the gravestones are Remembering Stones that people put there to remember their family that have died. They know all about death & what happens (well, as much as little kids can) so they got the concept of Remembering Stones really easily.


The questions I got today, though, were more about the stones that were much, much larger than Nana's Remembering Stone. Miss 5 (nearly 6) is very astute at putting these sorts of things together.


We went off, after visiting Nana & singing Happy Birthday, to visit other family members who also live at the cemetery. To get to them we walked through the grave stones (which by the way is a very interesting experience with an 8,5 and 4 year old). 


"Who is this person Mum?"
"Was this person really old or really young?"
"How did this one die Mum?"
"Oh, how cute, this one has a teddy bear/flowers/balloons on it, can we keep it?"

So, we found our relatives and said hi - then weaved our way back, when Miss 5 (nearly 6) asks about the grave stones...
"They are much bigger than Nana's - do they have people under them?"
"Well, yes they do".
"Oh, well how come Nana is under a tree with 25 other Remembering Stones? (trust her to count the plaques) Was she very little?"


Well, I might tell them stuff that other parents might not just yet - but there is NO WAY I am going to start explaining cremation to them so I did what every parent that wants to avoid conversation says - "Who wants icecream?"


Happy Birthday Mum
xxx