This post was going to be about a new digital painting that I’ve completed and I was going to show it off here, but that can wait until this evening. The painting is done and waiting in my Picasa Web Album, but as I was about to embed it here on the Monkey, I got a phone call.

My aunt in Michigan was on the other end of the phone, sobbing. MY first thought was … Oh, no, now Grandma is sick, or worse.

But no. Apparently a little while ago, a package arrived via FedEx containing my father’s ashes.

My sister stepped up. She sent the ashes to Michigan, as we hoped, and as my father wanted. His remains get to be where he wants them to be. This is good.

There is a slight personal gut-punch in this for me, and that is, after all the messages I left, and the cards I mailed to my sister, asking her to contact me so we could talk about Dad’s ashes, she has never replied to me. She DID send the ashes, and that’s a win, and I’m happy. But my kid sister has my number, address, and obvious effort on my part to reach her … and has not reciprocated.

But I’ll take what we have. The outcome may not be as nice for me personally as I was hoping, but the outcome overall is achieved. We’ll have Dad’s remains to spread at his memorial in Michigan sometime next month. Something tangible to say goodbye, and my aunt and grandmother satisfied.