Memorial Bench

 Friday, Oct. 22 would have been my mother’s 91^st birthday. To commemorate this occasion, my brother set up a dinner for the remaining family and some of his friends who knew my parents well in Grand Rapids. My brother’s wife, Pam, made reservations for us at a downtown hotel. We had a room with a beautiful view of the river. This is a picture of the sunrise on Saturday morning.

On Saturday, we went to Frederik Meijer (“Meyer”, for those of you who are not Midwesterners) Gardens & Sculpture Park. Doug and Pam donated a bench in the Japanese garden dedicated to the memory of our parents.

The bench

The plaque is just temporary. The permanent plaque will be installed in the spring when the weather is warmer. 

The temporary plaque

This is the view of the garden from the bench.

The view of the Japanese Garden from the bench

Doug and his friends shared their memories of my mom and dad. Every single person who spoke mentioned my mother’s love of food. I wondered if they knew how heartbreaking it was to see her become less and less interested in eating, and finally be unable to eat at all. It came back to me quite vividly, I assure you. I’m not done grieving yet. 

Terry and I walked around the pond. We were lucky to get such a nice calm day. The fall colors were reflected in the water.

Fall colors reflected in the calm water

And then we drove home, where there is still too much empty space in the house. I miss my mom.