Letting Go - Hanging On - Letting Go

Yesterday morning, we gathered at Pere Lachaise, the largest cemetary in Paris. A place  imbued with history and beauty too. I think she would have liked it. Walking through falling leaves and the cool brisk weather of an October in Paris.

We were many ! Most of us had heard from Amy about one another, but never met.

The ceremony was poignant. Friends from her church reading/singing group, the father of her beloved Helene.

His story ? So Amy!

How she had felt such a strong connection with his daughter.

From the very first moment she laid eyes on Helene it was almost as if Amy felt Helene was her daughter too !

He recounted how Amy babysat one weekend for their three kids. On the parents return they saw a huge pile of confetti outside the buildings entrance. Walking up the stairs, they thought "My goodness ! Someone's had a birthday party here ! Up they walked. One floor, then another and another following this path of confetti leading right to their door ! Entering the house, they found four laughing people and confetti all over the place ! He said when you opened a kitchen cabinet or drawer, confetti would fall out for quite some time afterward.

Likewise Helene's mom told me that once at a dinner party, Amy had been disappointed when she was not sitting next to their ten year old nephew. If there was a choice ? She preferred sitting next to a child. We have all seen that side of her haven't we ? That huge energy and desire for children in her life. If not her own, then those that crossed her path.

Like Thom, to whom she was teaching Mandarin. And Gaetan and Zeno. Josepha and Jason.  

I'm sure there are others and we hope we will hear from them too!

After the ceremony, it seemed natural to just stay together, so some of us went to a nearby cafe. As we looked around, you could tell even tho we were all meeting for the first time, there was an affinity. "All people I'd like to know better!" I thought to myself !

Amy's brother and cousin went walking with Dominique , leaving Amy's roses on the graves of Père Lachaises famous inhabitants : Frederick Chopin, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, poet Gerald de Nerval, Balzac, poet Alfred de Musset, Moliere and some of her favorites : singer Henri Salvador, jazz pianiste Michel Petrucciani, film director Claude Chabrol and musician Mano Solo. Parisiens and citizens of the world all ! Like her. 

A small rememberence book in which we all wrote something for Amy. Barbara will giving this to her family : father, stepmother, brothers and cousins if you want to add something... 

Despite our sadness, a beautiful day.