There's something to be said for getting closure. The benefits are pregnant with possibility moving forward. It keeps us from being stuck. There's sadness looking back at the joy of what was and hope in the joy still to come. God gave us our family and friends that become our people to surround us when we add to that circle in marriages and births. Those same people are there to surround us when we say goodbye to one of our own in death.
But before I get to that ....
God also gave us Elvis.
Anyway, the point is that this picture reminds me of some of those photos. I love Wayne's floating head ... Anyone want to caption Zanna's face in this one?!
Our big trip in August was back up to Wisconsin for my grandparent's memorial service. Since our end of May/beginning of June trip was also up in Wisconsin for their burial, I kinda wanted to throw something fun in there for us to do. So we decided to make a pit stop in Memphis, Tennessee on the way up!
I spent the 7th grade living in Memphis. That is when I officially fell in love with Elvis. It's hard not to when you walk through his house and become immersed in what was his life and his hip gyrating music. So I'd been sold a long time ago although the memory of it had faded a bit. I was absolutely convinced that once my 15 year old daughter was properly introduced to Elvis with a trip to Graceland that she too would not be able to help falling in love with ... Elvis.
She rolled her eyes. She sighed big, pathetic sighs. She defiantly crossed her arms.
We walked up to the visitor center and I was all fired up and she was ... well ....
Not having it. Yet.
Then we arrived through the gates of Graceland. We had our headphones and iPads that narrated the tour of his hallowed home. We went back in time and imagined all that might have gone on in those rooms.
We walked through the themed museums and gift stores, watched parts of his home movies and interviews, inspected the military uniforms and bedazzled concert jumpsuits he wore. We toured his plane.
By the end of it, she was buying a big, fluffy blanket with Elvis all over to wrap herself up in.
That's what I thought.
We wanted more!! Next we went to Sun Studios where icons of music history have recorded their songs including the King of Rock and Roll himself.
It was a relatively quick trip we packed a lot into. We went to the Peabody and watched the ducks go back to the roof for the evening. We went to the Lorraine Motel where MLK was killed. We walked the bridge that crosses over the state line. We went to the pyramid that houses a giant Bass Pro Shop. We tried to go to Mud Island but it was closed for renovation work. We hung out on Beale Street before dark and hung out with some of our favorite people who not only housed us but gave us all the tips and tricks of Memphis to make the most of our time. We love the Turriffs!!
Once we got that out of our system it was off to Wisconsin and time for family. It was time for all of us to celebrate and honor Grandma and Grandpa, their faith in Jesus, and their precious time here on earth.
It was so fun to see my brother and family back from Germany and now living in NC. The cousins had a great time hanging out. Speaking of cousins, I also was able to see a few of my cousins and my aunt and uncle from Alaska which doesn't happen very often.
My Mom and her sister had done a lot of work before we arrived putting the picture boards together and filling Rubbermaid bins with what would go on what table. We spent an afternoon setting it all up at the church and everything turned out really lovely.
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| Would Grandma have ironed? |
My parents hosted a get together after the service to visit with friends and family that came from all over. My Grandma Hanson even made the trip from Minnesota!! She's 94 and a total queen of England in my mind. She remembers every person in her family and all about them - all the way down to every last great grandchild. Her memory is unbelievable!
My brother inherited the family pickup, the very one Grandma learned to drive on when she was a young girl. He gave her a spin in it for old time's sake.
Not only was the memorial service the closure that we all needed after MONTHS of Covid restrictions and logistics trying to get as much family together at the same time, but we were also saying goodbye to the North Woods of Wisconsin, the log home that my parents currently live in that was built by my grandparents, and all the memories of the last almost 25 years of vacationing up there. More on that later ...
The kids had a great time enjoying the area and the lake. They blew bubbles, fished off the dock, visited the zoo, and drank copious amounts of Shirley Temple's.
This is it. After a few decades of memories that include holidays and vacations spent in the log home my grandparents built themselves, it's time to say goodbye. We went to our last Friday night Fish Fry at our favorite place, ate at Culver's and had some breaded cheese curds, drove through Minoqua that holds so many memories we didn't think at the time would ever come to an end. We ran out of time to visit all the little towns around the area to shop at all the tiny boutiques and flea markets that we enjoyed over the years. We worshiped at Trinity for the last time. It's hard to believe, really.
My parents are being brave and stepping out of their comfort zone. They're willing to imagine and dream and believe that there could be something different. At their best and most uninhibited, they're like giddy teenagers that just went and bought concert tickets to their favorite band only these teenagers are older and wiser and just bought a house in South Carolina. At their not best? Only they really know but I bet they're scared and sad and hoping they're not disappointing their parents for selling the log home. Do we ever get over that?
I'm sad. I'll own it. But I'm so very excited for my parents and for a fresh start. I've watched them sacrifice, unconditionally love, and faithfully serve my grandparents during these last years. I've witnessed some serious 4th Commandment love in action and it's been hard and beautiful. So to picture my mom out on her southern porch sitting in a rocking chair surrounded by trees and enjoying comfortable temperatures with a Bible on her lap and a coffee in hand? Makes me happy.
So goodbye to my grandparents who were incredibly ordinary people by human standards but extremely extraordinary in EVERY WAY that matters. Goodbye to that handcrafted, meticulously made log home that has proudly flown the flags of our family's home countries for 15 years. So long to that view of Island Lake from the A-frame vantage point. Farewell to the sound of rain on the roof up in the loft where we sleep.
I can't wait for the memories to come! I look forward to the places we have to discover in a completely different area of the country. I pray my parents have years left of health and a fresh appreciation of each other in this next phase of their lives. I can't wait to visit them in their new home and new church. I'm excited for them and inspired by them!
Elvis has left the building.
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