Gathering to Remember

Our family flocked to New Orleans once the news of Bop’s passing got around. Jenn McF even flew in to be with us for the weekend. We spent lots of time together over the course of four days, gathering to laugh, gathering to cry, gathering to remember.

Kenny and I hosted everyone for 5 Happiness at our house on Friday night, and we stayed up way too late drinking and telling stories. Then the memorial service was on Saturday. Everyone went back to Nola and Nopsi’s house after leaving the church, and we had a nice afternoon.

Since she was in, Jenn and I decided we needed to go visit our dear friend Kevin at Mr. B’s on Sunday morning and toast Bop with a mimosa (or two). We took Aunt Elena with us, who had never been there before. I think she is now officially hooked on their shrimp and grits. She left a bit early, but Jenn and I made sure to get a pic with Kevin before we left.

A couple of hours after I got home from brunch, the whole fam came back over to our house for a crawfish boil. Kenny and I offered up the option when we were all together on Friday night, and everyone jumped on it. We boiled two sacks of crawfish plus the normal sides and also 5 pounds of shrimp. Everything was super tasty; Kenny is really outdoing himself with the seafood these days.

 

Jenn came back the next morning to hang with the boys and me before her flight home. Riley piled trucks all over her, dragged her upstairs to play for awhile, and did not want her to ever leave. Sweet boy.

Three days later, we officially laid Bop to rest with a very small ceremony at Lakelawn Mausoleum. A two-man military honor guard came out to pay tribute to his service. As our minister finished saying a few words, one of the servicemen began playing a trumpet behind us. (“Taps.” That’s when most of us lost it a bit.) Then the other presented Grammy with an American flag. It was a very touching moment.

Grammy decided to take us all out to lunch at the Blue Crab after the ceremony. She said that’s what Bop would have wanted us to do. It also happened to be Jenn’s birthday, so I ordered a dessert for Riley and had the waitress put a candle in it. UJ made a little sign, and I snapped a pic of the wonk potatoes smiling one of his best smiles and sent it to her. She loved it.

It was a hard few days but it was an important few days. There were lots of emotions flying around for everyone, but being surrounded by so much family helped. And I’d like to think that Bop has been looking down on us and smiling, comforted by the fact that we have each other to lean on.

But one thing is for sure: we will always love him and we will never forget him.