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May. 20th, 2015 10:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_sinistraI've just come back from the funerals for my brother and Andie.
We have a tradition, our family. Every year, someone - Mum, usually - makes a special mead. If there's deaths during the year, we share a bottle. Tell stories about them. Pour out what wasn't drunk in the new year, as a thank you we didn't need it.
And we did for Orion, and for Andie. And then Mum insisted we do it for Harry.
Someone writes down all the things people say. (A complete version, and a - well, people often say stupid things, and so there's a version with those taken out that's easier to reread later.) I have copies, if anyone wants to see what it's like. It's not supposed to be the big stories, the things everyone knows, but smaller things, the things that person just enjoyed a lot.
It doesn't help enough, but it's better than a lot of other things people do for funerals. And having a thing to read privately later, that helps some too.
It doesn't need to be a big thing, or everyone there. Just - I thought I'd pass it on, for anyone it might help.
We have a tradition, our family. Every year, someone - Mum, usually - makes a special mead. If there's deaths during the year, we share a bottle. Tell stories about them. Pour out what wasn't drunk in the new year, as a thank you we didn't need it.
Someone writes down all the things people say. (A complete version, and a - well, people often say stupid things, and so there's a version with those taken out that's easier to reread later.) I have copies, if anyone wants to see what it's like. It's not supposed to be the big stories, the things everyone knows, but smaller things, the things that person just enjoyed a lot.
It doesn't help enough, but it's better than a lot of other things people do for funerals. And having a thing to read privately later, that helps some too.
It doesn't need to be a big thing, or everyone there. Just - I thought I'd pass it on, for anyone it might help.
Private message to Poppy
Date: 2015-05-21 02:23 am (UTC)The area the inferi went through still looks horrible, but it's spring, and so you get the oddest bits of things growing back. And they had a couple of those weird magical effects. A whole stretch of road by the inn blossomed into a carpet of tiny blue flowers. And there's a bit down in Kendal where the ruins of a house turned into something like glass, all translucent. People are mostly still thinking about how to rebuild, and not wanting to leave the Fidelius yet.
We've both been so busy, I haven't had time for more than checking lists with the Hospital Wing, but - are you all right? As much as circumstances allow? Can I do anything to help?
And I keep wishing Pomona were here to see it, and then I keep being glad there's parts she missed.
Re: Private message to Poppy
Date: 2015-05-21 04:24 pm (UTC)I'm glad to think that the funeral helped; I'd feared for you that it might be so difficult as to be damaging. Your family has been thoroughly changed by the events of this conflict, and that must be very, very hard.
I'm perfectly alright. Still busier than one would wish, but things are easing a bit. And one needs only remember the press of events overnight Saturday to regain perspective.
And I do remember. It was such a comfort to set up in Pomona's greenhouse. She'd have been appalled, of course, what we were forced to do to so many of her plantings (but I suppose few of them were hers--that's a helpful thought). She'd have wanted to assist, though, and of course she'd have understood the need and would have done whatever was needed.
She'd be so pleased about Tilda, too. And, truly, her farm was invaluable as a staging area.