The kids and I drove over to Colma last month to pick out a gravesite for Jon. And one for me. Jon’s spot looked good. It was right next to his sister. As for me — there was a dandelion growing on my grave.
It was a tenacious weed, built to last, splayed out flat, and insinuating itself among the blades of the neighboring grass, out of reach of the mower.
It was a tough guy, that dandelion. It wasn’t going anywhere.
I liked it.
With a little luck the dandelion will be there many years hence, when the cemetery folks come around with their shovels to dig a hole for me.
Next to Jon. Underneath a dandelion.
Happy Fourth of July. For some old-fashioned patriotism, go to “The American Flag Is Flying Over My Left-Wing, Elitist, San Francisco Bay Area Neighborhood Today. Here’s Why.” And here’s a patriotic guest post from Jon: “Does ‘Under God’ Belong in the Pledge of Allegiance?”
This is also a tribute to your bravery. You are marching into your future, through an emotional time and even doing research on dandelions’ life expectancy. Admirable!
Thank you, Liz. Writing and looking up stuff like how long a dandelion can live are nice distractions. They keep me from thinking too hard about the far-off future. Short term future is easier to imagine as it looks like it includes a visit to the grandchildren!
It is a tribute to your wild side. Embrace it.
My comment is awaiting moderation??????? Is wild immoderate? Embrace?
My website’s WordPress format does not embrace wildness. Not at all. It wants me to say OK to every comment that comes its way. So all comments sit waiting to be “moderated” until I can find a minute to check them out and “approve” them. Every once in a while a bizarre comment from someone I don’t know appears and I send it off to comment heaven. Meanwhile, I love hearing from readers, whether I know them or not, especially lately without Jon to chat with whenever a stray thought pops into my mind.
Good to know at least one person thinks I’ve got a wild side. xxoo