Remember Ethan

Today was Remembrance Sunday at our church: Children were selling poppies, a ranking marine read one of the epistles, and US Ambassador Rodolphe Vallee read the gospel. Now how often does THAT happen? Pastor Dave's childrens' homily centered on memory, remembering, and the value of rememberance. How remembering is respecting, honoring and valuing. Meanwhile, my thoughts were of Ethan, niece Jaime and Kevin's baby, taken from us gently but unfairly as he slept in his crib. His family is devastated, an infant's passing being the hardest to understand. Ethan was the beautiful son of two special parents who loved him more than love itself. Jaime did everything right in preparing for Ethan's birth, and both Jaime and Kevin ushered him into the world with nuturing love.

Hearing about Ethan's Memorial service, made me feel isolated here in Slovakia but reminded me of my own Mother's funeral, where my cousin, Sue, played her violin like ...well, I really don't know. Sue later said that "the angels played the music", much I think how Alex scored his goal last Friday and Ethan's Grandparents spoke so eloquently to everyone gathered, comforting and assuring others when their own pain was raw and unanswered. Ethan's Remembrance Day was a gathering in body and spirit of all who loved him. So I'll remember Ethan, we'll all remember Ethan, and celebrate his short but beautiful life.