It gets closer to home this week, when Bronwyn's husband passed away at age 48 from a kind of leukemia. The funeral was today at Glenfalloch. Over 200 people were there, in a modern wood & glass building that opened to fall color and views of the water. It was sad and beautiful. I was struck by the way family members supported each other. When Geoff’s brother had a hard time getting through his remarks his 20ish son stepped up and stood next to him, rubbing his back and lending his strength. Then Bronwyn and the three boys got up. The boys “farewelled” their dad and when the youngest choked up his mom read a sentence or two for him until he could resume. Such a lot of love! The farewell continued after the service. While we all stood in a semi-circle on a patio outside, the family carried the casket to the hearse then took their time saying individual good-byes while we watched and empathized. I was struck more than ever by the community-building aspect of these lovely, sad rituals.

Monday it came even closer, when Pam (our Dept. Administrator) got a call that her sister had been killed by a truck. Pam was at the grocery store when it happened just a few blocks away. People were talking about it, but she never imagined the deceased could be her sister. The woman was 64, ready to retire. Her husband was counting the days until they could take off in the camper-van he'd prepared. What a shock, and you can guess some of us are crossing streets more carefully.