September 17 2009

I got home from my trip today and ran into the ISLE center to see if I had any letters. I checked everywhere they were usually placed but I was sad to find I had none. I even checked in my locker outside to see if Rosemary had placed them in there – but it was empty. I was just about to leave for home when Rosemary ran after me and asked me if I wanted all of my mail. 12 letters. HA! 11 from Alyce and 1 from grandma. Boy did I feel like I hit to lotto. I spent the next hour reading and rereading all of the letters. Thank you for the photos and the funny tales. I miss you both. And grandma, I think I answered those questions you had, but if I didn’t, shoot me an email.
When I got home from the ISLE center, there were 6 strangers sitting on my porch. I knew this meant something bad and when amma came out onto the porch I knew. Aacci passed away this morning and there was nothing they could do. Amma was going to the funeral home to pick up the body and bring it home. As I write this, we are having the rosary/wake in our home. Over 50 people have come in and out of the house, bringing all sorts of food (because we are not allowed to cook until after the funeral), and paying their respects. I am trying to be as helpful as possible, but I don’t really know what to do. The funeral will be on Saturday at 3pm. Until then, aacci will stay in the living room. Before they brought her home, we had to go all around the house and put away all of the flowers and photos, because they must not be present when the dead body is present. We are to dress in white, black, or blue out of respect, but the only shirt that I have clean is tie dyed light pink. Amma said it was alright, that aacci wouldn’t care, but I still feel bad. It is kind of ironic that I am doing my material culture paper on burial and funeral rituals in Sri Lanka, but it also makes me sad because I will be thinking about it twice as much this weekend. The whole family is in mourning, but especially amma. Please keep her in your prayers, for all of you that pray, and in your thoughts, for all of you who think good ones.