When you make a major life change (new job, moving, etc...), you find you miss some things, but not so much other things. One thing I realized after our move last fall that I had taken for granted was our proximity to the cemetery where so many family, friends, and loved ones are laid to rest.
For almost fifty years, I was able to get in my car and drive to the cemetery about a mile away from our house. I could visit my parent's graves, place flowers, or a carved pumpkin at Halloween any time I wanted. I'd then just turn around and travel the mile back to our home.
Those days are gone.
This week was the first Memorial Day were we had to travel. It's only about an hour away from our old house...still, we needed to make some plans. We packed a lunch, carpooled and met the rest of the family at noon. After putting flowers on the graves, we sat in the shade of a huge tree and enjoyed each other's company.
It hit me, as I snapped a picture or two of the gathering, it was the first time we've ever done that. I don't think I've ever had a meal at the cemetery, let alone, a meal with my extended family. As we chatted, we talked about how we'll be doing this again...a new family tradition has been born.
There are a lot of things I miss about the old home--many of those things I've gotten over fairly easily. But, not being close to the folks...I can say I'll miss that a lot.
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