They Will Be Mourned

One year ago today, about thirty family members and friends were gathered at the Emory House for our post-Thanksgiving celebration. My sister, her husband, and several cousins had traveled from as far away as California....we even had a guest from overseas. It had been a long time since we had been reunited, and I think we all felt the specialness of the occasion. We joked that it might be the last time we'd be together in those numbers.

It's been a hard year for the family.In the spring, my godchild April's friend, who had graciously driven her up from Annapolis so that she could be with us, was murdered. Geri's partner, Paul, died of a heart attack. This fall, cousin Michael died in his sleep, and Stanley's wife, Dana, was killed in a car crash. They will be mourned.