It is a beautiful spring morning. I'm out on my screen porch with a hot cup of coffee listening to birdsong. It 5:45 a.m.
Jackie's funeral went really well yesterday. St. Mark did a wonderful job. Father Pat was great; the resurrection choir sang beautifully. It was mostly family with a couple of people Jackie used to work with, a couple of friends from her arts club and several people from her old condo showing up to help say good-bye. The worst part of the day was Ronnie and I had to identify Jackie before they closed the coffin. I have seen my beloved family members just after they have passed away. I have seen them embalmed and made up for an open casket; I have never looked upon someone who has been deceased for 11 days and very minimally preserved. Poor Jackie. But after that, everything was lovely.
I (and Hannah helped too) enjoyed poring through Jackie's old photo albums and putting together a photographic timeline of her life. We put three poster boards with pictures up in the narthex of the church, plus we had her baby book from 1923, a photo album of her retirement from the George Meany Center, an album of her many trips to France and an album of her many adventures in Maine at her summer house. We also had a nice photo of her with (most) of her nieces and one of her paintings displayed as well.
After the funeral it was terrible trying to get to the cemetery because of all the road work being done. But we did finally get there. Father Pat gave the final prayers and blessings. We visited the rest of the family graves and then everyone came back to our house for a late lunch.
After eating and visiting, Paul pulled all the nieces aside and we learned we had each received a very generous inheritance. Thank you, Aunt Jackie!
After that we had drawings to see who would get some of Jackie's paintings and other little items. Everyone was so nice about it all. I really love my sisters. We each go off into our own little universes and we all have our irritating foibles (including yours truly) but in the end we love each other. We remember Mom and Dad and all the hard times and laughter and beautiful things that make up a family.
Other things are going on as well. Though Sean is going to stick out school for the remaining three weeks, he really has regressed in terms of behavior. So we've got to get through that. Will goes back to Boston tomorrow afternoon. Hannah has started up summer courses, she's taking two night classes. Things have just fallen apart in terms of Aquinas Learning. Becky was sick all last week and then we had the funeral arrangements, etc. I don't think we'll go back for the last day tomorrow. It's all about exams she isn't prepared for. I must try to tidy up my abrupt departure in some way though. Sometimes things just don't work out! Josh is home and job searching. We still have to finish cleaning out Jackie's apartment.
For years Rick and I have dreamed (with no real idea of it becoming a reality) of getting a backyard pool. I am not much of a pool person but mostly it is because of the crowds and chore of packing up and getting there and then coming home and dealing with wet suits, etc. But a few times now we've rented beach houses with pools and we have so enjoyed it. I realize that if I don't have to do all that other stuff and expose my fat self in a swimsuit to strangers, the pool is a lot of fun! Very relaxing. Also with Rick's arthritis and my own, being able to swim for our long summers seems like it would be a wonderful luxury. So when we saw how much we got from Jackie, Rick leaned over and said: does this look like a pool to you? I feel like it will be the Jackie A. Brophy memorial pool. She liked to swim and so did my dad. They were swimmers. So, anyway, I am kind of excited about that.
Jackie's Obituary
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