Scattering Dad’s ashes in the Atlantic didn’t go as planned, but it brought me comfort
The author recounts the emotional journey of scattering their father's ashes in significant places of his life. Initially unable to find the ashes, they ultimately discover them just before the family burial. The scattering in Ireland did not go as planned, but it brought laughter and a sense of connection to their father's spirit.
- ▪The author struggled to find their father's ashes before a planned scattering ceremony in Ireland.
- ▪The scattering of the ashes in Dingle Bay was met with unexpected challenges, including the wind blowing the ashes back.
- ▪The author later chose to scatter some ashes at Mount Etna in Sicily, fulfilling a personal need while honoring their father's memory.
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Open this photo in gallery:Illustration by Marley Allen-AshShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountFirst Person is a daily personal piece submitted by readers. Have a story to tell? See our guidelines at tgam.ca/essayguide.Where, oh where can they be, I asked myself, desperation raising tears. “They” were my father’s ashes. I upturned a small jewellery case, knowing it was too small to hold them. Next the file drawers jammed as they were with the detritus of decades I still could not bear to part with. No ashes. Where had my grief-stricken mind thought to stow them two months ago? To keep them safe, I’d hidden them. As if anyone would want a baggie of ashes, I ranted now.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Globe and Mail.
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