I “zoomed” and “facetimed” with a number of family members in celebration of my father’s birthday.   We talked with people in Florida, Montana, Colorado, and Vancouver.   Call me crazy but as soon as I saw a cousin with her funny hat, her birthday decorations, and her wide smile, I knew I was also in the presence of her long deceased parents and grandparents and it was good.  

Death is part of life; the stories of our ancestors and nurturers live in us and through us.  It is good to pause and remember and be bound together with our wider community as we celebrate the lives of those we’ve loved.