Another friend and I planned and had people from a former workplace in on Saturday for an informal memorial to our friend who died of cancer last month. Aside from laughter, food, nutty photos, and some penned remarks and memories from geographically distant friends, the handful who gathered in my flat chatted amicably on an assortment of topics.
The friend who planned this event with me brought over a potted bush we will plant in her garden. Though the exact name escapes me, the blooms are a peachy chocolate flower while the buds resemble small, dark penises, something our now deceased friend found funny and used to play a risque trick on her at work once upon a time.
The entire gathering took two hours from start to finish and was rather anticlimactic, at least to me. Because our friend had no money, his next-of-kin left his disposition to the State. There was no funeral, no other memorial, no obituary. I was happy to provide food and open my doors to those who will miss him.
Sunday found me in the stacks of the local library with my head buried in a book...
Have you ever wondered about the genesis of the eight-hour workday, unemployment insurance, Social Security? If you said FDR, you would only be half right. Although Social Security began on his watch, it was the only female member of his cabinet who pushed to bring these things into law. Her name was Frances Perkins and she lived during interesting times...
As do we.
7 comments:
How good of you to open your home. It's a shame when someone does not have a funeral, for whatever reason, because of course people do like to pay their respects. I wonder what the interesting sounding plant is called ! :)
Yeah, what IS that plant?!
I do know about Frances Perkins. Years ago the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor, and probably like many people (back in the days when we got paper letters) I looked her up to find out who she was.
I'm glad you opened your home to allow people the time and occasion to remember your friend....so sad when there is no mark of someone's passing.
It was nice of you to host that gathering to remember your friend.
There may have been no funeral, but gathering together to remember your friend is a nice idea. It's sad when someone dies and they have no friends or relatives whatever to mark their passing.
That's interesting about Frances Perkins. I'd never heard of her but clearly she pushed through some very progressive measures. A bit like Barbara Castle in the UK.
Good of you to host the gathering in your friend's memory.
Interesting what you say about social legislation in the US. Here in the UK it really took off after WWII. I think we take it for granted, as if it's always been there. Sadly it seems to be all under threat in one way or another at a time when we should be defending and extending it.
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