i got back yesterday from a trip to northeast arkansas to bury mama moss' ashes. 8 adults and 1 roly-poly-rolled-in-sugar baby gathered from kansas, new mexico, virginia, and california. we stayed in 2 cabins in the blooming woods of the big cedar lodge. we made good food, built fires, played games, and yacked into the night. my brother, ray, read a poem that made us all teary and reach for our tissue. some of us went trecking down dirt roads trying to find our old house and almost got simultaneously shot & stuck in the mud. i won't say who. someone else stopped to ask a hitchhiker for directions. a few of us sketched each other. next year i'm bringing mini-sketchbooks for everyone cause as you know the very best sketches are always made by those who "can't draw".
i set my alarm for 2:45 am on tuesday so i could see the magnificent lunar eclipse. the stars were brilliant in the cold clear air. jupiter & mars shone like beacons, and the deep red moon glowed like a hot coal in the velvety black sky above the trees. a perfect ending to a wonderful gathering.
i'm already looking forward to the next moss family revival next spring. here's part of the poem my brother read at our little DIY service. the complete version is HERE.
Tucked away in our subconscious minds is an idyllic vision in which we see ourselves
on a long journey that spans an entire continent. We're traveling by train and, from the
windows, we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at
crossings, of cattle grazing in distant pastures, of smoke pouring from power plants, of row
upon row upon row of cotton and corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of city skylines and
village halls.
…
Moss Sisters, Sending you my sorrow for your Loss of you’re Mom. I will carry you in my prayers heart softly.
Hold one another tightly while you go through your loss.
Linda
the poem link said “this web page is no longer available”.
What is title of poem please.
I’m so sorry for your loss of Mama Moss. I loved how your family got together for a memorial in Arkansas. How special, to not only memorialize her, and also to renew your family memories. With the beautiful trees flowering, it was like your mother adding her colors to show your family her beauty and warmth living on within each of you. May you each find peace in remembering all the happy times you had with your mother.
I’m sorry I could not access your brother’s poem, I know it must have been as special as each of you are.
Thank you, MaryAnn, for sharing this time with each of us!
What a beautiful send off for Mama Moss. Kind of a bittersweet post for me after hearing today that my mother may have less than six weeks left according to her doctor. Since March 16th she has been in the hospital and won’t be going back to the dementia unit. I know our family will be traveling to central NY to put her to rest next to her husband. Thankful you have such a beautiful and supportive family and thankful you shared such a precious memory.
Beautiful place for your mom’s final rest. My grandparents lived 10 mi from Branson after they retired. She passed away in 2008, he passed away this jan-and the house sold in dec-so we had to empty it in feb. Really sad because that area was a part of my life for the past 30 yrs.
What a lovely way to be with family as you buried your mother’s ashes. We had the experience here last Saturday of watching our dear friends 26 year old son’s ashes being buried at sea, off of Laupahoehoe Point. So much sorrow and a huge turnout when you die young like that (car accident). A helicopter zoomed overhead dropping bags and bags of flowers that had been collected by family and friends. We played Hawaiian music for all after the memorial service and ashes burial, at the local gym there. We are so blessed to live in a community with people who care.
Aloha, Kate
What a beautiful weekend, beautifully recorded.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
ps — love the Monopoly money……..
A beautiful poem! Do you know ‘Here live your life out!’ By Robert Graves? Reminded me of that a bit. Glad your trip was a success, building happy family memories.
Peace & love to you & your family…and to Mama Moss, too.
May she rest in Peace and may your memories be tender and sweet.
I am so very happy that you got to see the eclipse. It was overcast and raining here, no chance to see anything. I have a feeling you were meant to see it for all of us. I’m sure celestial inspiration will be our gift in your next stellar works. Deep peace.
Beautiful – I’m verklempt. Thank you – was thinking of you and wondering if you caught the moon the other night. Lots of us in all kinds of places, staring at the same moon together.
So they take monopoly money where your mom is…..good to know. Beautiful post. I see you and Carol are not the only talents….sv
I would say such a tribute to one that must have been quite a soul, to raise a family who comes together to share and say goodbyes in such a peaceful comforting hug sort of way…there is magic in that I think
I love your family and your bonds across the miles. Mama Moss sure knew how to raise a family.
thanks for sharing this tender moment with us Mary Ann. Beautiful views and sentiments all around for sure…all good and true things. I was up in the wee hours catching the eclipse and I thought of you and hoped you were watching too, quite a few special folks were looking upward together and it feels good to know that…in my mind eyes and I can envision us all with our heads tilted up and in awe of the show Ma nature was putting on for our enjoyment and Mars winking on and off reminding us that we are part of something so much bigger….
Beautiful.
What a lovely setting to bring Mama Moss home to. I gather you lived in the area at one time? The pics of the Lodge are beautiful…that little baby is just adorable.
The poem will be stolen by me. I have had a life long love affair with trains.
I’m glad you’re making this an annual gathering place for the Moss Clan.
thanks for sharing your families get together to honor your mother……I love seeing your posts and can see you are from a very special family full of kindness and creativity….So sorry for your loss…but can see Mama Moss taught you all well………and I must say you are right that is one beautiful sweet looking baby…….xoxoxo
Not only a perfectly beautiful memory for all of you and an honoring of Angie, but what a magnificent foundation and future you are all creating for that adorable little bundle of wonder.