When I told students and colleagues that I was going to Colorado for the weekend, they immediately grinned. But as soon as I said I was going for a funeral, it quickly disappeared. But funerals don’t always have to be a sad affair. This particular person passed away some months ago but weren’t the type to go quietly into the ether, so once covid began to clear enough, the planning of her celebration of life began.
I don’t know if it’s my age but I’ve become much more inspired by other people lately. It’s not that I’m getting smarter, but I feel that I am getting wiser. It feels like I’m starting to understand more about people, life and how you spend your time.
I had the pleasure of meeting Aunt Sue some years back when Caitlyn and I were thinking long and hard about relocating to Colorado. This was of course before Logan. But she was the kind of person that was so genuine, she elevated your spirit the moment you saw her. I remember driving in the rental van with her in the back. Being in her 90’s, she was prone to taking a little nap here and there during the day. Suddenly, she woke up and told me that I had missed the exit, gave me directions on how to get back on track and then fell back asleep. She was that good.
Going to the church where she spent so much time was really cool. It was smack dab in the heart of Denver, a block north of the capitol. On Google Maps, the pin was exactly in the middle of the word Denver on the screen.
Seeing her life in photos was awe-inspiring. There were photos of her playing golf in front of the pyramids in 1949, hanging out in Scotland and just living her best life with her favorite people. She really was a sweet soul that made you ponder life every time you met her.
Aside from the celebration, we had family time aplenty. From Sally and Bruce’s place in Centennial the first night to going up to Boulder to see Greg and Mary Sue’s, we spent from quality time with extended family and enjoyed the natural splendor of the state.
I kept joking to Caitlyn in every neighborhood to go on Zillow and see what house prices were. I’ve heard that many Californians have flocked to Colorado in recent years. Even with the housing market boom, you can still get a lot of house out there with Californian money. Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll be out here too…
