Sadness in Oregon

We (Tom, Kat and I) drove to coastal central Oregon on Friday evening to spend the weekend with the many people who loved Gera. As these occasions often are, it's been profoundly sad and, at the same time, filled with the joy of a life well-lived and with the comfort of being together -- in many cases after years of not seeing each other.

This is a chosen family, but absolutely FAMILY, "born" 50 years ago, and the love goes deep. Gera was the ultimate MOM and her absence will be felt profoundly every day. Over the weekend we so often heard about how wonderful it is to all be together again -- and how crappy it is that THIS has to be the reason why.

It's always great for Tom and Eric to get together and for wives and kids (many of whom are now over 21 and can drink with us -- bizarre!) to visit too. By last night many of us felt the need to do something more joyous, so we headed into town and danced to a Led Zepplin "cover band" who sounded exactly like the original. We 50-year-olds in suits and dresses definitely stood out among the 20-something crowd, but as we told those who inquired, "Hey, this is actually OUR generation's music!"