Today

My Grandma Anne joined her adoring husband, Granpa John.
It is sad to have Grandma gone, but I am thankful she is not struggling in her earthly body anymore. I know Granpa was waiting for her with a huge smile on his face. It makes me so happy to know they are together again.
I left work a little early & headed up north to check on my little sister, as this is the first grandmother she has lost (& it's so difficult to lose the mother of your mother). We headed out into the bright afternoon & took a walk in the grass with Tillie.

It's such an affirmation of life to see the next generation (especially when the next generation carries the name of the lost loved one, Tillie Anne). With the loss of many elders recently, Boo & I have had many discussions over these losses & our responses to them. One reoccurring reaction we both have is a surge in the desire to have our own children. Perhaps a response for the continuation of our family, of the species, of life, as one generation passes, we both feel a increased desire to introduce the next generation. It was comforting to watch Tillie, the next Hagopian/Hearn/Maier generation, run & laugh in the sunshine.
I need my remaining three grandparents to be with us for a while longer--I'm not quite ready to provide the next generation.