The last goodbye

PALMER — The “Five Little Girls Memorial and Vigil” Saturday was like no other. It wasn’t your standard memorial — but then, this wasn’t your standard death.

The memorial service at the Palmer Train Depot was well-organized, loud and full of music, videos, selfies and children. Hundreds of people, of all ages and colors — some glued to their seat — sat for more than three hours. First responders, neighbors, strangers, teachers, principals, playmates, cousins, uncles, besties, firefighters and parents were there. Pictures and snapshots of the “five little girls,” with their amazing dark eyes, rolled over and over on the big screen while dozens of youth and adults spoke to the audience.

It was organized chaos. There were technical difficulties. There were flowers. There were balloons and ribbons. It was not morbid, scary, or preachy. There was just a lively and life-affirming recognition of death and loss. It was touching and a legendary goodbye.

The candlelight community vigil was part picnic, parade and procession. And it was perfect. At the very end, when the family was gathered up on the knoll in the Palmer Green Space, between the library and the buildings, hundreds of people surrounded them. Candles blew out from the wind and were relit. Kids rolled down the hills. Lucy, the girls’ dog, meandered through the entire ceremony, looking and finding love at every corner. The parents and family were brave and bold.

And when the moment came to shout out to the heavens, five ridiculously perfect angel wing clouds appeared up in the sky. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself. But it happened in downtown Palmer — in the only way it could.

There are still fundraisers for the Five Little Girls this coming weekend. There is Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm Pumpkin Chucking Event, Four Corners Lounge Pig Roast and Butte Elementary Spaghetti Feed fundraiser.

These are important.

And after you have fully participated and said your goodbyes, it is then the most difficult time to move on. Grief fatigue is a real thing. And it leads to melancholy and depression, so it is important to face forward and be kind.

But we won’t forget.