Adding Insult To Injury

After we finally limped to the car after our hiking adventure, we decided to stop on the way back at the house where I grew up, and the cemetery where my dad was buried.

Keep in mind that by this time my back was spasming, my left hip was also hurting from the fall, and we were semi exhausted.

Sooooo... we passed over a little bridge on the way to my old house, and I began to cry as I told James how my Grandpa walked me down there so we could throw rocks in the stream. I was embarassed... I rarely let people see me cry if I can help it, and my brother in law was in the back seat. Anyway, I showed James the house, and all was well.

Then we went to the cemetery.

My family has a plot there... and as I went down our row, I was so happy to see the graves decorated! (Since this was a completely random trip, we hadn't brought any flowers with us. And the nearest place to buy more was... umm... *thinking* 45 minutes away? The cemetery is in the middle of nowhere. It's so far out, that on the way to my aunt's funeral the HEARSE GOT LOST!!!!! Seriously! It had to turn around in someone's driveway!!! )

My grandma had a pretty flower arrangement saying "mom", my grandpa had a pretty one saying "dad"... my uncle Joe had a blue arrangement, and my aunt Wanda had two pink ones....

And what did my dad have on his? NOTHING. My uncle went out there, put flowers on all the other stones, and left my dad's totally barren. I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO angry. I went to the pile of unloved flowers, and tried to fashion a bouquet for my dad out of flowers they'd taken off of other graves to mow. Most were faded, missing flowers, or dirty...

I had to make my dad a bouquet out of the FREAKING TRASH! THE TRASH!!!!!!! I was so mad. I sobbed, I yelled, I threw ugly flowers, and called my uncle some things I won't repeat on here. I was emotionally devestated. I ranted on the way home, and at a barbeque James's family had that night... people just looked at me like I was crazy and completely flipping over nothing. I was too angry to care at that point.

Finally, the next day I couldn't handle it anymore, and went back out there with a crapload of flowers. My dad's grave is now extremely festive, with a gnormous bouquet of blue and white flowers that I arranged myself.

His dignity is restored, and I'm at peace again.