Jon's Fund and Thinking about the Future and the Past

You may have noticed the new Donate button on my sidebar.

A fund for Jon's family has been set up to help them through the coming years--college looms, and unfortunately his life insurance was in transition and will not be as much as it might have been in two weeks. There are many efforts afoot to assure that life can go on as normally as possible for his family, and this fund is one of them. It has been established by Connelly and Associates, where Jon was part owner and the job he loved passionately. I've posted the Donate button on this blog to make it easier for family and friends to find.

Being home is better than I thought it would be. Here I have things to do. My cat, always on the affectionate side, did not leave me all yesterday evening or all night. While we were away she apparently even made friends with the dogs, something I'd given up on.

There were cards and letters here too--piles of them waiting for us, from friends and family all over the US, Canada and England. I cannot tell you how much your words meant to me. While only a few of you have experienced the death of your child, many of you offered comfort simply by saying, "I'm here. I care." Thank you all more than you know. I will send out thank you notes soon but wanted to say it now because I am overwhelmed by your kindness.

Other things are slowly coming together. I called to see what it would take to establish a family burial plot on our land. While Jon is buried in Virginia near his daughters and wife, I want to be sure we have the option open to any family members who want to be buried here on the homeplace. I learned that there is no real regulation of family cemeteries--only assure that access is easy to prevent future problems, and add a note to my deed at the County Clerk's office as to the location and size of the plot set aside for the cemetery. How simple, and how right that a family should be able to make a place to hold their loved ones.

More snow is forecast for tonight and tomorrow--for now it has stopped and the sun is shining brightly. I am inside by the fireplace, thinking about my son and his life here as a boy growing to manhood. I realized yesterday that Jon is the first person I have known for the whole of their life, from birth to the end. It does not cause me sadness, although there is certainly pain that the end came so soon and unexpectedly. But his was a life lived to the fullest, filled with love and laughter, adventure and action, reflection and purpose. When my time is over, I hope the same will be true of my life.