California Dreamin'

We went to sunny Southern California this past weekend.  It had originally been intended as a trip to bring Emmett to meet his Great Grandma, but unfortunately, she didn't make it long enough to meet the little fellow. So the trip transformed into a memorial.  We got to visit with family and friends, and enjoy the memories of a remarkable woman.

My Grandma Jean was a huge influence on me.  I was fortunate to live fairly close to her and my Grandpa Ray when I was younger.  They were both extremely talented artists who pushed me to be expressive: drawing, sculpting, acting, and playing music. 

They filled their home with exquisite objects made by friends and family, collected from around the globe. I would not be so immersed in a creative life if they hadn't set such a beautiful example.  The continuing creativity of so many in our family is a testament to their energetic delight in the arts.

Well, her passing was bittersweet, a stark loss for those of us who loved her, yet a long awaited relief to her physical pain and the sadness she felt watching those she loved (especially her well loved husband) go before her.

As I was walking in the woods, processing her loss, and meditating on the inevitable loss of all of those we love, I wrote the following song:

Someone who's

Inside of you,

You never lose,

You never lose.

Someone who's

Made you who you are,

Is never far,

Is never far.

A winding line,

From you to me,

We never see,

The roots of a tree.

We'll meet again,

Not where or when,

But here and now,

In the present tense. 

Because...

Someone who's

Inside of you,

You never lose,

You never lose.

Someone who's

Made you who you are,

Is never far,

Is never far.

Below the noise,

I hear your voice,

I feel your pride,

I feel your joy.

All your pain,

Is disappeared.

And though you're gone,

You are still near.

Because...

Someone who's

Inside of you,

You never lose,

You never lose.

Someone who's

Made you who you are,

Is never far,

Is never far.

All in all it was a really nice trip.  I tend to look at these situations as a celebration of life, rather than a tragedy of loss. 

And of course, bringing Emmett was like bringing an instant smile.  As he got passed around, it was impossible for everyone not to see the miracle of the life cycle, and the renewal of our family in the next generation.

Aunt Mimi doesn't want to let go.

Aunt Carole gets a tiny hug

Emmett wears daddy's hat on his first trip to the beach.

Walking in the surf.

Emmett laying on a beautiful quilt Aunt Mimi made for Grandma.

We even had a moment to visit with the "Brunch Club", a group of our family friends from when we lived in Southern California. Here we are with the Levines, the Steins, and the Binstocks.

Furthermore, the Levines gave us a tortoise (because we don't have enough pets!)

Will the real Shlomo please stand up?

We smuggled him onto the plane in a sock in my pocket, and he arrived alive and well on the other side.