Laid To Rest

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I received a letter from Ft. Logan National Cemetery on Saturday.  It was a letter that I had been anticipating for over six months...  A letter telling me that my father, who passed away last October, had finally been buried.  

"Dear Ms. [Ha],

The internment of [your father], was accomplished on April 25, 2012 at Fort Logan National Cemetery.  Enclosed please find the monument inscription sheet and a map of the cemetery indicating the section and the number of the gravesite..."

When I read the words, I was filled with two conflicting emotions... relief and shock.  

On one hand, I was happy to hear that my father's remains had finally been laid to rest.  At long last, everything had been tied up in a neat little bow.  Well, as neat as possible considering the circumstances.  It saddened me that the process had taken so long, but I recognized that it was ultimately beyond my control.

On the other hand, it was a little shocking to read something about my father's death. As crazy as it sounds, this was the first official document I've received since his passing.  For over six months I've known that he was gone, but this was the first time I'd actually read the words.  It somehow made it seem more final... As if his death itself was somehow not the end.

My father's grave marker is inscribed with the word "Vietnam."  I always knew he spent time in the Army, but I didn't realize that he had been enlisted during Vietnam... Yet another tidbit that I never knew about the man who raised me.

During a recent visit to my sister's house, I picked up my dad's old tackle box and one of his fishing poles. Gifts she grabbed for my boy; the grandson that he never knew.  Oh, the things that my father missed..

I've already learned a few new tricks just by simply digging through the box's contents, but there are so many lures and jigs that I don't know how to use.  I'm hoping that it's something the boy and I can figure out together.  With summer vacation looming around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to give it a try.

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I am linking up with Just Write today. Stop by Heather's blog to read other posts or add one of your own.