I’ve got it all together, but I forgot where I put it.

Today is the day. Today I am going to 2TI to say goodbye to Lorick. I have a large mason jar filled with memories to give to him. I have enclosed a letter, pennies and dimes, a couple of pictures, and other sentimental items. I put the pictures in a zip lock bag, which is kind of stupid because I’m throwing this jar into the depths of the river, totally submerged. I don’t plan on getting the pictures back. But something in me wants to protect all the little items.

I have asked my boys to join me. Jackson and Max were reluctant at first Ben was good to go, Ben had a different relationship with him. Max and Jackson did not like Lorick. It wasn’t always like that, but after Lorick and I got married his relationship with my children took a turn, Lorick started asserting more dominance in the house. He needed to prove he was the ‘man of the house’, which was a joke, because he most definately was not the ‘man of the house’. I was. I was for many reasons too. Mainly financial. Lorick wasn’t willing to contribute to our monthly home expenses. He would tell me he had his own bills to pay, children who he was putting through college, which I may add was not the full truth.

Lorick had a tendency to compare his children to mine. Of course his children compared on the winning end of the spectrum. My boys didn’t come close to his superior offspring. He would tell me he raised his children God’s way. They were pure, without fault. How lovely it must be to produce offspring who have zero imperfections.

When we would go to 2TI as a family, Lorick would insist my boys help him load the boat, clean the boat, help him with all of the laborous tasks. Lorick’s children only needed to show up, not helping at all. The inequity between my children and his was too much. After time, my boys grew to dislike him, resent him. I didn’t blame them and understood, but I did continue to try and be the peacemaker for all of us.

I asked Walter who is one of the 2TI partners and a friend of mine if he wouldn’t mind bringing me out there to say goodbye before the year was up. He said absolutely. We met at the Station Creek boat landing in the afternoon. It was very sunny and about 70 degrees, which was great for December. The ride out to 2TI was a bit colder, but not terrible, I was prepared with extra jackets. We pulled up to the dock and pier head. Walter walked up to the camp, the boys sat on the pier head swing and I sat alone on the dock. The sun was sparkling all over the river, it was pretty. I leaned over and started talking to the water. “Can you hear me? Do you know I am here? Question for you Lorick, why the heck did you have your ashes scattered in the river? It’s dark down there! You missed the boat on that one. Should have done it on dry land. Can’t see the sunrise down there.” I was poking at him. Lorick and I had a sense of humor maybe only we understood. But, I know he would understand the poke.

I yelled up to Jackson and asked him to join me on the dock. I felt he had the strongest arm out of the 3 and I wanted him to throw the mason jar far out towards the center of the river. I gave the jar one more look and handed it over to Jackson.

That kid has an arm! He chucked that jar almost to the center of the river. The tide was going out and the current appeared to be strong. As I looked towards the direction in which Jackson threw the jar I noticed an extra sparkle.

Oh for crying out loud! I never poked a hole in the top of the lid. This dam jar is not sinking, it’s just floating along with the current. I ran up to the pier head to get a better look and to also confirm what I was seeing. Yup, I now have a message in a jar instead of a sunken never to be recovered personal memorial. Good one Deni. God knows where this thing is going! My luck it will wash up on the sandbar in July durring the Beaufort Water Festival! I am sure Lorick was quite amused and enjoyed poking back at me. I didn’t care, the boys and I had a good laugh about it. Now, it’s time to head home and start our lives fresh.

Goodbye Lorick, I’ll be back to visit you. I promise. xoxo