Our family has nearly become professional at "spreading ashes". Anyone who knew Joe would not be surprised that he had precise requests of where and how his ashes would be spread. His first was for some to be kept with us in our home so, as he said it, "I can always be close to you". Then there were three other locations dear to his heart: McCallie, Holden Beach, where we spent a week every summer, and the last was Charleston; the place where he spent time with his friends.
So this past Sunday, in Charleston, I stood in Josh's kitchen after cooking four pounds of spaghetti, roasting two chickens and making a huge salad vividly remembering the first time I ever cooked for his friends. It was after a swim meet when we were living in Knoxville. They came to our house and devoured the food, just as they did Sunday night. Each of them started telling stories of when they had their first "Restaino'' dinner and the flood of happy memories came back. There were so many over the past years and we were thrilled to cook every one of them.
So I leaned on the counter donned in the yellow apron Joe gave me for Christmas and felt peace.
Diane,
ReplyDeleteso glad you enjoyed the guys in Charleston. And thanks for feeding them! I cried all the way to work monday am thinking about the significance of what the group was doing....how they come together again and again to love, remember and honor Joe. And how this will continue their entire lives, as the mcCallie bond is very strong and lasts forever.
sue