The curtain is drawn between the congregation and the casket..... the family has one last time to view the deceased. All of us (family) glide by the casket not really knowing what we are suppose to do. It is part of the show. I just about crawl into the casket as I know that this is the last time that I will see my son. The casket is closed. We all meander outside to our vehicles to form the line for the procession to the burial place over 200 miles away..... of course there are a number of people who will not be going to the burial place in Arkansas. Remember, the funeral is in Jackson, Tennessee and the burial is in a little Podunk town in Arkansas.....
As we leave the funeral home there is the local constable leading the procession. As we merge onto Route 40 West toward Memphis there are a number of Tennessee motorcycle patrol officers who fall in line with the procession. We have leaders, those in the middle and those bringing up the rear. I'm astonished!! There is no way at all to explain the finesse that these officers showed. The honor they displayed. The camaraderie that they displayed. All along Route 40 West to the bridge that spans the Mississippi we were escorted by the highway motorcycle patrol. As we passed into the state of Arkansas the procession was picked up by local law enforcement teams..... e.g. the local sheriffs departments. And with each and every Arkansas county we traveled through we were passed on to the local deputies at the county line. As we came around the curve from the mountain into the town of Batesville, AR (5 hours later) all of the local law enforcement vehicles had the traffic lights stopped. As the procession moved through town the police cars fell into place to form a long line of official vehicles. As we pulled into the cemetery the police vehicles fell into place....... all of the officers disembarked from their cars to form a line around the burial site.
Enough for tonight...... not long before this is finished. Thank you for caring. Thank you for listening. Thank you for being you...!!
All my love to you both ~ Ann
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