We all know that Dave loved to travel. He was always looking toward new horizons and wanting to experience the world. So when Dave was cremated, we made a promise to bring a little bit of Dave wherever we travelled and sprinkle his ashes in places that we knew Dave would love. As we planned our Jamaica trip over Thanksgiving, I hoped we would find just the right spot that would suit Dave.
On the second day of the trip, we headed out on a catamaran for snorkeling and a picnic lunch on a nearby island. We brought along Dave’s ashes—just in case.
As we waded ashore, my niece said, Aunt Pat, look over there! Tears instantly welled up as I saw a hammock at the water’s edge between two trees in a cove. There was an archway in front of the hammock covered with tropical flowers. We all knew that THIS was the PERFECT spot for Dave.
Anyone who remembers Dave’s stories from the Marshall Islands knows that he put up a hammock in such a location so he could enjoy reading or just pondering life in such awesome surroundings.
We spread some of his ashes over the rocks and coral under the hammock, said a few words, shed some tears, and added a sprinkling of Red Stripe beer for good measure a touch we’re sure Dave appreciated. Some of us took turns relaxing in the hammock pondering life, just as Dave had done so often. The rest of the afternoon was spent with his whole family quietly enjoying such a perfect spot while taking note of the beautiful butterflies visiting the cove.
There were so many sides of Dave. One final resting place would simply not be enough.
So, Dave rests in Pine Bush, NY in the camping surroundings he so loved and now at Half Moon Bay, Green Island, Jamaica overlooking the surf that also brought Dave such peace and solitude.
As Dave wrote to me in an e-mail, I’m just glad that I have the opportunity to sort my life out while sitting on a beautiful desolate beach. I feel it is necessary to remind me of what’s important.
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