Boe resides in a mausoleum niche with my Opa (grandfather). He is surrounded by people who, for all intents and purposes, appear to have lived long full lives. Small brass plates display the names and life spans of those who occupy them, informing passersby that someone who was loved rests here. In that 4x4 square lies someone's mother, sister, wife, friend, etc... No one knows that Boe is there.
He lies in the niche protected by his Opa, but no one who happens by knows that Albert W. Muller AND Boe Holland Kinowski share that space. Over the last several months, this has been becoming increasingly more difficult for me to handle. I want people who pass by to know that he is there. I want them to know that life is not all about living a long full life and then passing peacefully in your sleep. Sometimes, those who we love the most are taken from us unexpectedly, without warning; and it is heartbreaking.
Since Boe died, there have been a few times when people have done unexpectedly touching things. Acts that reaffirm that he exists, he is remembered and he is loved. Recently, one of those things was done for us. My stepmother, who has never had any children of her own, bought a new plaque for the niche. The plaque will have my Opa's name on it and Boe's name on it.
I am so incredibly touched that she did this. It means people will know about a little boy named Boe. They may not know about his life or his death, but they will know he "is".
