A loss can have repercussions that are regenerative.  We were at the extended mourning gathering for three days, during which we kept saying — and hearing — that we need to get together more often, just for good things, just to celebrate our family, our histories, our times.

So, these new patterns in the sand remind me of new patterns we can make with out lives.  I’m meeting a family member just next week, one I hadn’t seen in many years, the mother of my beloved cousin’s two sons.  She opened her home so generously and graciously to all of us: the new family, the old families, the constant family, the blended family, the cousins, the friends, the work and social connections.  She and I will have coffee and renew our memories.  Out of great sadness will come new experiences, new closeness, new perspectives.

We walked on the beach this evening at sunset.  There will be picnics on the beach.  Family picnics to share our time and love.  The ocean seems eternal, holding all our yearning.