Thursday morning, seems impossible a week has passes since I was gearing up for the trip. On my windshield this morning ice pellets fell, that storm is coming in from the south, so I am not going to stay at the office long. We were just a week off in planning our trip, huh Lynne?

David, I do have Native American in my back ground, but it was so long ago we have no real memory about it with the exception that various women in the family were "mean, because they had so much indian in them". I heard that wispered growing up. My father, you could tell by looking at him was part native, but he denighed being anything but 100% white. I also had an uncle on my mothers side who was married to a woman who was part African, but "passed for white".
I emersed myself in Pow Wows and Native literature at one point in my life, and heard the thoughts on death at some point then. I would hold on to what your mother told you, it is closer to the source, real and not a hallmark sentiment. I could see someone adding the last line to make it more acceptable, give it a happy ending, start a new tradition.
Lynne, I know what you mean about drowning. If you can change your point of view to look at it as a river, go with the flow as it were, but even a river is turbulent. Maybe a nice high perch above the river, on the side of the gorge, where you can get some perspective, where all you r problems look like dots crossing an old suspension bridge, and you can hum softly to yourself the words of an old Hank Williams song. Until some dumb ass outside your cubicle clears their throat and asks you for a paper clip.

In the end, all Ennis had left of the power of Brokeback Mountain was what he held in his hands.
Katie, I really hope you can make it to Alberta, that would be so awesome! I know many here who would love to meet you.