geese encourage each other and stick together.
getty
support, caring and encouragement seemed like the theme of the day. in the crowd that gathered to say goodbye to anthony, there were lots of family friends, but also many people who knew him from the past, who had come out on a blistering hot day to support our family. for some, it had been more than 20 years since they had seen him. when i commented to one couple on how nice it was for them to come to his funeral after so much time had passed, they talked about how important it was for others with a connection to the dead to meet with those who are left and share stories about their loved one. “it’s one of the only things we can do for you in this moment,” they said. “a connection.”
at the end of the ceremony, my mom placed a long, vibrant red rose in a tiny vase that was attached to the front of the niche where my brother’s urn of ashes were locked away, just below my dad’s ashes. his children let two white balloons go, watching until they disappeared in the blue sky. just then, two cyclists rode in wearing gear from the princess margaret cancer centre’s
ride to conquer cancer
.
just weeks earlier, one of them, will, had bought my brother’s fancy racing bike — not knowing about his cancer — for the race that happened to be on the day of the funeral. later, after my mom shared the details about how he died, will not only dedicated his ride to anthony, putting a sign on the back of the bike that said, “in honour of anthony paul machado,” and brought team jerseys for our family, but on the race/funeral day, he and his team rode through the finish line and kept going to the cemetery to show their support and caring for our family. but most importantly, to encourage my brother’s heartbroken children.