Saying Goodbye To My Niece-In-Law

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. 

We had some bad news on New Year’s Eve 2015.  My hubby’s niece passed away.  She was in her 30’s.  She had a heart attack at home while watching a movie with my sister-in-law.  The days since have been a blur.  The family and friends rallied around my sister-in-law.  We are not supposed to bury our children.  How can a person so young die suddenly?  One feels so helpless because all we can do is be there for her.  We can’t take away or ease her pain.

My sister-in-law had her cremated. On February 21^st was my niece’s sea scattering and life celebration.  The family and a few close friends met up at the Neptune Societies boat docked at Pier 39.  The boat took us just outside of the Golden Gate Bridge to scatter her ashes.  I have never been to a sea scattering before.  It was a nice day on the water, sunny and a little breezy.  They had put her ashes in a lovely box.  The Neptune personnel performed a quick service then we all said goodbye before my sister-in-law and mother-in-law put her ashes into the water.  We had some flowers that everyone threw in with her.  It was a lovely ceremony.  After we came back in we went to one of the restaurants near the pier to have a memorial with the people who didn’t get to go on the boat with us.  My other sister-in-law arranged the ash scattering ceremony and the life celebration.  The restaurant is right near the Neptune Society boat.  My sister-in-law set up a slide show of photos  her with my niece-in-law  favorite music playing  in the background.  Her step-father gave a moving eulogy. Her friends and family, including my hubby, stepped up to share memories of her.  We provided some note cards for people to write sentiments on them and hung them up in the netting on the tribute table. There were quite a few people at the restaurant.  She was definitely loved. 

My niece-in-law was such a sweet, generous, loving, loved kids, there for you in times of trouble and family oriented.  She loved all things mermaid, loved to read and loved take photos. May she rest in peace. May you swim with the mermaids and dolphins.

Mermaid 
by Walter de la Mare

Leagues, leagues over the sea I sail Couched on a wallowing dolphin's tail. The sky is on fire, the waves a-sheen, I dabble my foot in the billows green. In a sea-weed hat on the rocks I sit, where tern and sea-mew glide and beat, and where dark shadows the cormorants meet. In caverns cool when the tide's a wash, I sound my conch to the watery splash. From out their grottos at evenings beam, the mermaids swim with locks agleam.

To where I watch on the yellow sands, and they pluck sweet music with sea-cold hands. They bring me coral and amber clear. But when the stars in heaven appear, their music ceases, they glide away. They swim for their grottos across the bay. Then listen only to my shrill tune, the surfy tide, and the wondering moon.