Not your Normal Day

Yesterday was unusual and something I never thought I would have to do. I felt like I was part of a bad movie. Jerry was creamated in Baltimore as I couldn't pack up after 3 months and "move" our office and belongings back and do a proper funeral and burial. His "cremains" were sent via mail and have been sitting at home facing outside since February 7.

I had come across a US Navy "Burial at Sea" program on the internet (where I had searched for 2 years looking for a way to help my husband and others). I investigated and found that a Naval officer could be eilgible for this program. Being a proud veteran and American and a lover of the sea, I knew Jerry would have loved this.

However, in order to follow the procedures, his cremains have to be properly "stored" so that when they are delivered to the facility, he can "ship" out. So, yesterday, I went to Toale Brothers Funeral Home - who have been friends of ours for years - and David there took the "cremains" and handled everything for me. Standing in a sterile room in a funeral parlor waiting on Jerry's remains to be properly "stored" was not what I had ever envisioned I would ever have to do. I kept coming back to my thoughts of "what if I had gotten help sooner".

Jerry and I had hoped to get him better and be able to drive home from Baltimore down I-95 and stop at antique stores along the way - a passion of his, looking for naval antiques. Our plans didn't turn out that way, so I plan to drive his cremains to Norfolk where he was based during the Korean War and request that he be buried at sea from a destroyer deployed from there.

If anyone reading this blog knows of anyone who has kidney problems, please take a minute to forward the blog to them - maybe someone you know can get help "sooner" than later.

Yours in awareness for kidney alternatives, Sandy