Part 8: Goodbye and Driving back to Warsaw

After Church we had to say our goodbyes, I met a few more family members, -how is everyone related now?

We all pile into our cars, we give a ride back to Helena (who says keep in touch) and Joshef to Richards's house.

We all say keep in touch and come and visit again soon. I still can't believe that all this is really happening at all but it really it.

We wave and drive down the street into the fog and back to Warsaw, the next day I leave for America.

- Life has peculiar timing, but is also pretty magical.

Part 7: Church

We all file into church and it is packed and cold. They push me in to go sit down but I don't move, I'm not sure what to do, or where to go.

Nika's in her car resting, she didn't want to come into church. That was fine. I felt I had to go for the family and all.

We file in the pews and sit and pray and sing. My family takes communian and I stay in my place. I thought this part would really akward but it wasn't. No everyone got up, which made me feel better.

I should remind folks that everything was in Polish, the sermon and all. It is really cold, no heat, that is to much money but it was o.k. you could just see your breath.

The service went about an hr-ish and they did mention my family, I mean the distant ones because it was Stan's 1st year of his death coming up.

It was amazing and still is amazing to me to be in the real church that my great, great grandmother were praying in and got christened in!. and I was there also now like over 100 years later!

Part 6: The Cemetery

Part 6:
The Cemetery is to the back of the church. We drive Helena and Josef in the car and I think 2 other cars of family members came along as well. With candles in bags we walked to the graves. We stopped at Teofil grave 1st and behind his grave was my great great grandfathers and mothers grave. Kazmier and Elizabeta. I was amazing to see it. It didn’t have a big sign on it just a small one but it was theirs.

I pulled out my bag of soil. Soil from the memorial garden that my grandmothers – Bernice Krogol ashes are on. I’ve had a bag of soil for a bit in Polish on the shelf not really knowing the best place to put it and no place was right until now. This was perfect place! On my grandmothers - Bernice, grandmothers grave – Elizabeta.

Wow, I can’t believe that really happened.
I came full circle. I am standing on the land my great, great grandmother and family stood on and prayer on and worked on. How amazing.

We walked to a few more graves to Richard's Father's Grave. Stan. Flowers are placed all around , as flowers and candles are on graves all around as well.

I also meet another one of Richard's Brothers and his wife. She is really friendly and nice to meet.

Now we much go to church its just about 11am I think.