Mike's Grandmother passed away this past weekend. It wasn't long ago we were remembering fondly how she would prepare a squirrel and dumpling supper for us while we were out hunting on their land. We got in lots of good hunts back in there. We could come in from the day's hunt and settle down at the table. Mike's Grandfather, "Daddy Doc" would be sitting there. It was a happy scene. When I spoke to Mike the other day he mentioned how we would have to prepare our own dumplings now. He is so right. Now the time has come for us to be the Grandfathers and make our own impression in the minds of the new generations. It is my hope that my own Grandchildren can one day recall some time we had or some moment we had that will be for him a fond remembrance.
Effigies are used in grieving by providing a tangible representation of what has been lost, allowing a mourner to connect with who or what they've lost , which can help with the process of acceptance and emotional expression, particularly when the loss is sudden or traumatic; they can be used to focus grief and memories around a physical likeness, offering a sense of continued presence even in their absence