View from the beach

This was my view as I sat on the beach in St. Maarten.  Was it really just a couple of months ago?  In many ways it seems like long ago, and yet in others, life as whizzed by almost in a blur of events since last October when I was in St. Maarten. 
I'm grateful to have this picture as my wallpaper as my view on my laptop.  Seeing this picture is what's prompting me to write.  I sat at my desk today watching this view on the computer, and I wanted to feel that warmth of sunshine again especially after our many days of rain.
Looking at the picture, I know that this is the place where I put to rest the last of Bill's ashes. Right there I sat on one of those rocks where the beach, rock and water all come together.  I realized that no one knows this nor was anyone there with me. As I very much wanted this place to be known and remembered by all those who ever loved Bill, I'm including this picture with today's blog.
I can hear the music coming from a beachfront karoke bar that drifted up to where I sat on the rock by the water's edge.  I can see the moon-lit sky reflected in the warm waters. I can hear the soft waves on the shore and feel the gentle and balmy breezes softly caress.  This is where I sprinkled my few remaining ashes of Bill, into those warm, clear soft blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. I had left ashes in several other the various places I've visited this past year.   Some of his ashes have been spread and/or are blowing in the wind in Sedona, AZ, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and now too, the Caribbean Sea....all warm places.  He'd like that. 
We had our family gathering in Charleston, SC, just this past weekend as we finally celebrated our Christmas in January together, as well as coming for a gathering to greet and celebrate the newest member of the Budan family, one-week-old baby Michael Frederick Budan, Jr., pictured here with his very proud papa, Mike.

Seems right to combine in this same message of saying good by to Bill, who was so devoted to his family all his life, with the saying hello to a brand new generation through another picture.

The kids mentioned that they still had some of Bill's ashes and were planning to have those added to a special edition of fireworks made up especially so that we can shoot them in the air this 4th of July.  Yes, Bill will like that too.

Isn't it interesting what they can do these days, and isn't it especially surprising that I have children to find out about and plan these things? I am grateful.