It was late one Saturday afternoon when the guests gathered beneath the boughs of an ancient oak. They had come to celebrate the beginning of a life together for two young people they all knew and loved, but before the ceremony began with the official seating of the grandparents and parents of the bride and groom, a woman walked down the aisle, carrying sunflowers which she gently laid in a chair at the front.

The crowd was tremendous, numbering in the tens of thousands, and all willing to wait the almost eight hours it could take to reach their destination. And the vast majority of them came armed with cell phones and the occasional selfie stick.

As a child I always had a love-hate relationship with Easter. I loved the egg hunts we had at school, walking to a nearby classmate’s home and searching for the elusive eggs scattered about the yard. I wasn’t crazy about being required to dress up for the church service—mainly because I wasn’t crazy about being required to dress up for much of anything.

When a family comes to the funeral home to make arrangements for someone they have loved and lost, they come bearing much more than clothes and a picture for the memorial folder. They just don’t always realize it.

If you were allowed to live a normal, rough-and-tumble childhood, then you probably have the scars to show for your adventures. I know I do.

It was one of those nights when his daddy had to work late, and our youngest grandchild Malcolm was upset because he wouldn’t be home for their normal bedtime routine.

Nick and Christina married on July 4th and every year thereafter celebrated with a big cake covered in sparklers. Nick owned a Greek restaurant and the cook there knew that each July 4th, that cake was not only expected but greatly anticipated. So, it concerned Christina when her husband began asking about the cake more than a month away from their anniversary . . .

As best we can tell, she adopted us in December of 2022. Not that we minded. We were coming off of two very difficult years and this little furball proved to be the bright spot we needed.

Some important things to know about James Christopher Harrison: 1. He was known as the Man with the Golden Arm. 2. He saved the lives of over two million infants. 3. He was afraid of needles but . . . 4. He donated blood and/or plasma 1,173 times in his 88 years of life. 5. That life ended on February 17, 2025.