All done.

With the passing of my grandma, Lucy, a chapter of our lives has really come to an end. And now that the services are officially over, I can really feel it. I had a feeling that it would hit me more once the funeral was over, because I have been so immersed in all of the planning to really think what my grandma's passing means.

Yesterday's funeral went well. We had it at the San Gabriel Mission and they did a very, very nice job. I like the atmosphere there, which is a little more laid back, but still very respectful. The lady who played the piano and the man who led the music did great.

At the cemetery everything went fine, except that the priest--who is visiting from another parish--got lost and we had to wait in the blazing August sun for about 45 minutes, but I guess everything can't be perfect! My mom's 2 high-school friends offered to go to the house and open it up for the food delivery, which was done by our local market.

Back at the house we had sandwiches, fruit, salad, iced tea, lemonade, and chocolate cookies. After such a long morning and standing in the sun (wearing black) the food really hit the spot.

A lot of the guests had arrived before the family because we stayed at the cemetery until the grave was completely filled, so many were leaving when we arrived. For most of the time that we were there it was just family. We filled up on food, enjoyed being inside and passed my brother's baby around.

As it got a little later, we got more informal and some of us went swimming--me, my cousin Robby, little cousin Cassidy, and Laura's husband Luis. Robby and Luis didn't have suits so I found some of my grandpa's old trunks for them to borrow. Just seeing them model those old trunks made us split a gut laughing. They looked so funny. But it felt so good to be in the pool that we stayed in for about 3 hours. It was a lot of fun.

As it got closer to 6pm, we started thinking about going our separate ways. My cousins, Monica and Robby, are flying out today--Monica's plane left an hour ago--so their family wanted to have a little informal get-together at their house in San Dimas. They invited anyone who wanted to go. My mom wanted to stay with the aunts who were also having their last night here, but I went. I ran home and cleaned up from the hours of swimming and then drove out there.

Monica, Laura, and my Aunt Nene and I went to the market and got wood for their fire pit and fixings for ice cream sundaes, while the guys at the house ordered pizza. We spent the next few hours chatting around the fire pit and enjoying pizza, sundaes, and each other. I had made arrangements to stay overnight at their house just in case I was too tired to drive home, but the call of my own bed was too tempting. I left around 12:40am and arrived home at 1:05am.

It was a good end to a long day.

Today all of the out-of town guests go home. Then we have to start thinking about resuming our lives. I still can't believe that both of my mom's parents are gone. I can't fathom dismantling their house in the next few months (although we are going to still have Christmas Eve there,) and it seems weird that with the passing of my grandma we've all been "promoted" a step in the generations. The little great-grandchildren, Cassidy and Alexander, are now the "kids" that my cousins and I used to be. My generation is now at the level where my mom and her siblings used to be. My mom, her brothers, sister, and their spouses are now the "older" generation in the family. Time marches on.

And, despite our desires to have Tito and Tita back, I can't help but think of them being together again in a more perfect state--happy and young and healthy. The picture above is one I found in a photo album at their house while I was putting my grandma's DVD together. I think it characterizes them perfectly. Two halves which, when put together, create an everlasting love.

I think this dialog from yesterday says it all. We were at the cemetery and Cassidy, who is 4.5, was talking to my mom:

CASSIDY: They're putting Tita with Tito?

MOM: Yes, honey.

CASSIDY: Why?

MOM: So they can be together.

CASSIDY: That's what Tita wanted, isn't it?

MOM: Yes, that's what Tita wanted.