Christa was 49 years old when she passed away from brain cancer on 29 September—exactly seven days after her birthday.
She was a year younger than me, had two grown-up children, a loving partner, and so many people whose lives she had touched.
Generous portions and a tube of mayo
She loved food and had made a living in the catering business, greeting people as though they were arriving at her home and serving them generous portions of delicious food.
She also had a soft spot for Thommy Mayonnaise. In fact, she used to walk around with a tube in her pocket, just in case the occasion required a little “spicing”.
Today was her Abdankung, as they say in German—her memorial service. I like the German word because I hear Dank in it: giving thanks.
Nature gave her tribute
We gathered to celebrate her at the Dreiländereck—a place she loved, where the Swiss, French and German borders meet on the Rhine, and where she wanted her ashes scattered.
It was a foggy day, which only added to the sense of mystery of that goodbye.
At some point during the memorial, as we were listening to one of her favorite songs, four swans—a mom and her three young—took flight, one after another, forming a perfect line rising upwards.
I didn’t have my phone on me, but it’s a sight that will stay etched in my memory.
A coincidence, perhaps. But in that moment, it felt like a tribute to her life.
Remembering her
We listened to friends and family paying tribute to her. We cried together. Laughed together. Ate together.
A friend and I sang Amazing Grace, accompanied by two wonderful bagpipe players.
When it was time to scatter her ashes in the Rhine, each of us took a turn saying goodbye, throwing a rose into the river and watching it be carried away by the current…
It’s difficult to fathom why some lives are shorter or longer than others. Birth and death are somehow part of the same continuum—we don’t ask for either, and yet they happen anyway.
I believe that all those who have departed this planet before us simply dwell in a new home until we can rejoin them. But that doesn’t make us miss them any less.
I’m not quite sure why I’m writing this post… Maybe it’s simply my way of processing today. Of remembering Christa and giving thanks for her life.
Thank you for reading, if you’ve made this far.
Much love to you all,
Dina 🫶🏽
Songs that kept playing in my head at her memorial today:
- Amazing Grace, live at the Berlin Tatoo
- The Lord is my Light by Cageless Bird. I found myself humming this song at Christa’s memorial over and over again:
Recent Comments