Hello lovely ladies,
It's been a bit of a sad week really. Most of you will know that my mum passed away last week and my sister and I have been organizing the funeral/cremation. Then of course we also remember 9/11 with lots of documentaries on tv about the dramatic events then.
More about me later, let me show you my postcard for today:
It's a card I will be sending today or tomorrow and it features Rotterdam, my home town. I was born here and my family have always lived here. It is a very modern city as it was bombed during the second world war.
Wikipedia writes:
Rotterdam's history goes back to 1270, when a dam was constructed in the Rotte. In 1340, Rotterdam was granted city rights by William IV, Count of Holland. The Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area, with a population of approximately 2.7 million, is the 10th-largest in the European Union and the most populous in the country.
A major logistic and economic centre, Rotterdam is Europe's largest seaport. In 2022, Rotterdam had a population of 655,468 and is home to over 180 different nationalities.[10]
Rotterdam is known for its university, riverside setting, lively cultural life, maritime heritage and modern architecture. The near-complete destruction of the city centre in the World War II Rotterdam Blitz has resulted in a varied architectural landscape, including skyscrapers designed by architects such as Rem Koolhaas, Piet Blom and Ben van Berkel.
The Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt give waterway access into the heart of Western Europe, including the highly industrialized Ruhr. The extensive distribution system including rail, roads, and waterways have earned Rotterdam the nicknames "Gateway to Europe" and "Gateway to the World".
Now I would like to tell you how we said goodbye to our mum. Different countries have different traditions. But if reading about funerals upsets you, please don't read any further or just scroll right down.
In the Netherlands it is a tradition to have announcements printed, which get priority by the Netherlands postal service. We had them printed within 24 hours and we wrote the addresses ourselves, then put all the announcements in a special envelope and took it to the post office. The next morning the recipients in the Netherlands received their announcement which contained the details of the funeral and a correspondence address. So wonderfully efficient! (I'm not used to that any more, living in Spain).
My mum didn't want a big funeral and also didn't want a religious service. We didn't think we'd have more than 20 people (we have a small family). We had organized a 'gathering' in the funeral parlour, with table and chairs arranged a bit like a coffee shop:
I had also prepared a short talk:
In the photo above I was just about to start my talk.
We had put a nice photo of mum on the coffin and a small fun statue:
"World's greatest mum", because to us she was the world's greatest mum.
We spent the time talking to people we hadn't seen for ages and exchanging memories of our mum.
Then a large black Cadillac drove us back and we gathered (at least the family members) at the pub across the road for drinks and nibbles.
You can see part of my head on the far right.
Below are my sister (R), me (L) and my cousin (middle) outside the pub. (I had already changed my dress as mum's apartment is opposite the pub)
As today is T for Tuesday hosted by Elizabeth and Bluebeard, I will show you my drink (as if there weren't enough drinks on the table):
Elizabeth take note, I had stout.
The funeral was Friday. And then Saturday we needed a break and we got on the train to Hoek van Holland (Hook of Holland). From the train one walks straight onto the beach. The beach is miles long.
In the photo I'm posing with my brother-in-law
There you are. We are now busy getting rid of mum's things. We can't take anything with us. Some things will be stored until next month until my sister comes back in the car.
I'll be going back to Spain on Wednesday. My friend, that I recently went to Italy with, is going to Portugal and she is giving me a lift home (to Spain).
Tonight (Tuesday) we will be loading the campervan and we will be leaving the morning after.
Happy T-Day all,
Hugs,
Lisca
10 comments:
I think this sounds like a lovely funeral. When my mom passed last fall we had only a small funeral with just immediate family, and then we went out to a pub for lunch and some smiles as we shared good stories about my Mom. And I like the idea of sending out funeral notices. That is really efficient, and it would be nice if people did that more places. I hope you have a lovely trip back to Spain the camper van. Is the dog going with you? Happy T day and week ahead. hugs-Erika
I'm so sorry to hear about your mum Lisca. I knew about the Dutch announcements system as my friend told about it when my own mum passed (during Covid) and it sounded so helpful and efficient. Hope you are doing OK, and have a safe trip back to Spain. Happy T Day! Elle xx
Once again I must say I am sorry for your loss, but it looks like you celebrated her life at the funeral and that's good. The final parting is always hard, but you and your sister have wonderful memories of your Mum, and that's good, as they will stay with you always, wherever you go. Happy T Day, Valerie
My condolences -- although your funeral celebration looks fantastic, and you had many friends and relatives there, I'm sure it's very hard to say goodbye.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
It's a hard way when one no longer has Mum. It has been 9 years since my mom passed and I still miss her everyday. It looks like a lovely tribute. Hope you are well. Hugs and much love.
Once again, you know how sad I am that you and your sister have had to say goodbye to your mother. She lived a good, long life, though. That is a very different, yet effective way to announce a funeral. I had not heard of that before.
It was nice to see your family together and celebrating her life afterward. Looks like plenty of drinks to go around, too. Thanks for sharing your mother's funeral and tribute afterward with us for T this Tuesday, dear Lisca.
Lisca i've been missing in action the last few weeks at the T party so i had no idea. I'm so very sorry for your loss dear t party friend. Lovely to see you and your family. All my love and a hug.. deb
Announcements in the mail is certainly different than in the US. Here people post in the local newspaper with all the service details and if you happen to pay for a paper, you will see it. If not, than you will not know unless you are family.
It looks like a very nice turnout for the service. Being with family and friends is the only nice thing about funerals.
Hugs,
Kate
The mail announcements are certainly different than in the US. It used to be a notice would be put in a newspaper, but now the funeral info is uploaded by the funeral director to their website. Nice that you were able to share memories of your mom with relatives. I love the World’s Best Mom statue. Made me smile. I’m sure your mother’s memory will be a blessing. Happy T Day - CJ
Dear Lisca, I love the postcard - such a pretty city. The details of the funeral were very interesting and it looks like it was very appropriate being exactly how she wanted. After the funeral is always so hard when you have time to reflect, hurt, and deeply miss them. The statue was the perfect choice for the top. So lovely. GIANT hugz and late T-day wishes.
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