MeMere lived in Madawaska, Maine which is one of the four corners of the US, meaning that it is the most Northeastern city in the entire US. It is a good 16-18 hour trip from northern Virginia, where we were staying with my parents, all the way up to Madawaska. We decided that my dad, Damien, Liam and I would make the trip up to Madawaska to pay our respects to MeMere. We thought that the long car ride up and back would be too much for Alicia, who just got recovered from a bout with the chicken pox and a double ear infection. My mom, and Linda would stay back to help take care of Alicia. The plan was to leave on midday Saturday July 5th and drive through the night arriving midday Sunday, then leave midday Wednesday the 9th and arriving in the morning on Thursday the 10th of July.
It felt important for to me for my two boys to be present at the funeral. Unlike Alicia who met MeMere when she was five months old, the boys never had the chance of meeting MeMere. Something special about the boys that MeMere always talked to me about was how special Damien and Liam were to her, because they were the first two great grandchildren to be able to pass on the Levesque name. It was really something special for me, for that to mean so much to MeMere.
The trip up went well with Damien watching, "Superheroes," on the DVD player, and Liam watching, "Peppa Pig," on the IPAD until they fell asleep. I did almost all of the driving in both directions as I get in a zone and I drive.
started to come up, it felt like MeMere was asking God to
put on a show for me.
The day we arrived we had a nice reception where I saw a lot of my aunts, uncles and cousins for the first time in years. It was also the first time that any of them had gotten the chance to meet Damien and Liam. Liam was particularly restless from the car trip, and also just because that is Liam's personality.
After the reception we went back and changed up for the wake.
Right when we got out of the car the morning that we arrived in Maine.
Damien is Wolverine and Liam is letting it all out!
There were a lot of people at the wake. It really had a reunion feel to it. I did not see anyone crying or sad just a lot of people there to celebrate her life. People were in really good moods and excited to see each other again, and probably most happy that Me Mere had lived such a full life, she was no longer in any pain, and she was were she wanted to be.
I brought both of the boys up to the casket to pay there respects to Me Mere. They both asked if she was sleeping, and I explained that she was not sleeping, but that she was in heaven. Damien seemed to understand that she was no longer here. At one point later in the trip Damien randomly came up to me and said, "Daddy your Me Mere is no longer here, she is everywhere." I am not sure where that came from, but it was the sweetest, truest thing anyone could have said.
The next day was the funeral. The boys got all dressed up and looked really sharp. Unfortunately Liam was still tired from the drive up which made him super hyper, so I had to stay outside of the church with him for almost the entire service. Meanwhile, Damien met his second cousin Alissa (my cousin's kid) age 9, and he was attached to her at the hip. My cousin Lynn and Alysa sat with Damien during the whole service and he was a little angel.
Damien's with his idol/ second cousin Alysa.
It had been decided that my dad and I were going to bring up the communion wafer and wine to the priest. When it was time to go up to the priest Liam was still acting crazy, so we improvised. We each took Liam by a hand and walked him down the aisle. My dad then proceeded to give the wafer to me to give to the priest, then he took the wine and gave it to the priest, but we forgot about Liam. He picked up the plexiglass tray that the wine and the wafer were sitting on. He put it high above his head and was probably about to throw it down. I heard a little bit of a gasp and looked around to see what he was doing. I grabbed the tray and set it down, then held Liam's hand with my dad holding his other hand. We walked back down the aisle, when Liam decided he did not want to walk anymore, so he just had us drag him until I picked him up and carried him the rest of the way.
I wanted to be upset with him, but deep down I knew that MeMere was looking down at us laughing.
The rest of the trip up in Maine was surrounded by family time. We would drive around and my dad would tell me stories about how it was when he was a kid and as a young adult living up there. He also told us about funny family stories that occurred with his mom, brothers and sisters. He took us over the border to Canada twice just to get delicious lobster rolls, and an Acadian specialty poutine.
We went one day to Baker Lake in New Brunswick, Canada to spend time with some of my aunts and uncles. It was great to let everyone meet Damien and Liam. They laughed at how active they were, and when I got frustrated they reminded me that I was worse when I was a kid.
My dad, the boys and I after MeMere's funeral
The boys looking sharp!
We are too may to all fit in!
My cousins Sean and Tyler hanging out with Damien
My dad, Uncle Dave, Uncle Allen, and Uncle Mike and Aunt Nancy who I hadn't seen in 30 years and who I missed dearly. So glad I could meet all of them again.
Lobster roll and poutine, Jackpot!
Damien agrees, poutine is great!
We were also able to meet up with some of my cousins that I have not seen in a while. It was fantastic to see my kids and my cousins kids meeting for the first time.
After we got back to from Maine we were still meeting up with my cousins in northern Virginia, Maryland, and Outer Banks, North Carolina (MeMere's grandchildren and great grandchildren). She brought up a huge tight family, and taught us all that family is important.
Brian, Colby and Jack in Maine. Then we had a day together in the Outer
Banks!
My cousin Alan's family, with my two nieces Harley and Jamison, Damien and Liam, my brother, and PaPaw passing out bacon covered donuts.
took the kids to the aquarium.
The kids getting chased by a T-Rex
Overall the trip was a huge success! It was great spending some bonding time with just my dad and the boys. It helps me be a more confident and organized father when I just have the two boys on my own without Linda. It was fantastic to see so many people from my extended family, and be able to reminisce about when I used to come up to Madawaska more often. Now that MeMere is gone I am not sure when we will make the long journey up to Maine, even more when so many of our relatives will be in one place at the same time. All I know is this trip taught me that I love my extended family, my dad, my boys and of course I love you and miss you MeMere!
The best way you could say goodbye to your MeMere. I´m so happy that it was possible for you to be there with Damien and Liam and meet all your relatives.
ReplyDeleteLove mormor Carina