Planning Dad’s funeral was surreal. All the people who came and spoke touched us so deeply. We felt so much love. To realize how many people he affected, what a big heart he had and what a great man he was to a large circle of people beyond his family. We picked his two old work boots for the flower arrangements and displayed them on his childhood John Deere tractor. When it was time for people to head back home we divvied up some of the plants. My sister took a boot and the other one got left. I stayed a few extra days to lesson the blow of an empty house on Mom. As flowers wilted we started consolidating arrangements and the remaining boot was tossed in the garbage. But it bugged me so later I dug it out of the trash and smiled as it took up the majority of my suitcase. Since I couldn’t take a plant with me, I bought this anthurium when I got back to Phoenix. I think of what big boots I have to fill..