Although we sang in the same choir for awhile,  Josephine Higgins is somebody I didn’t know until today. I went to her memorial service in San Clemente because she’s the mother of my friend Ray. She died the twenty-second of last month at the age of ninety-four. I am acquainted with her now because I was introduced to her by her family in a celebration of her life.  I won’t forget today, and I will always remember Josephine because the people who have always loved her know how to mix grief and mourning and remembering in a way that makes a memorial service a joyful event.  

Usually I wouldn’t consider taking pictures at a funeral, but this wasn’t a funeral. It was a celebration.  I doubt that anyone saw me taking the pictures with my very smallest camera because I held it low and aimed without using a viewfinder.  Later I got permission from Ray to use them for my Blog today... because that’s the format I use for keeping track of how I see the world. I like to come to the end of a day saying to myself that life is good.  I can definitely do that today.