Satomi’s Baachan

Satomi’s Baachan died last week.  She was 99 years old and one tough lady.  She was sick for a while so her passing was not a surprise.  The funeral is this afternoon in Little Tokyo.

Of course we plan to attend but it’s going to be a long day for Satomi.  She had to get to work early for some sort of staff meeting and there’s a Doctors appointment in Irvine late this afternoon.   A lot of driving and no rest.  If Satomi gets tired, we may forgo the actual burial afterward.

Satomi’s Baachan and the family deserves every respect but I’m afraid that this funeral will be very difficult for me.  Death is something I try not to think about.

[Updated 7/01/09 8:00pm]

The funeral wasn’t so bad.  It was a nice tribute to Baachan.  It was a bit awkward as many distant relatives/friends asked how Satomi was doing.  I gave them all the answer “Given her condition, she’s doing quite well…”  True but a bit distant to preserve the mood.

I’d say the only time I felt uncomfortable was when I helped Satomi walk out of the room after the service.  We were near the middle of the family processional and had to exit via the center aisle.  Maybe it was my eyeballs playing tricks but I’d swear everyone was watching Satomi as she passed.  I guess she looks a bit different than most of these people know her.

The service lasted until 2:30pm so we couldn’t go to the burial; we went straight to the Oncologist in Irvine. 

As you’d expect, Satomi cried at several points in the service.  It set the tone for the doctors appointment-she ended up crying there too-but thats for another post.