Loss, Gain, Gain

There's nothing like a funeral for getting people together, and allowing us to abandon our self-defensive reserve, and making it OK to say stuff that would sound dumb at any other time, even if it's just a joke to make someone laugh.

This all wouldn't warm the heart if we didn't have hope, and not the bumper-sticker kind. My grandparents both announced ahead of time that they were ready to go, but recently, many people dear to me have suffered sudden, shattering loss and we can hang on these moments with people like strings and ribbons and ropes.

Following are several shots that wouldn't have been taken had not everyone converged to remember the Taylors.