Dancing on the Rim of Immortality

Okay, were I not technologically challenged I would show you my cell phone movie of John Brown's birthday celebration out at the barn. I have, on video, preserved for posterity, Little Elvis in his new black polyester yarn wig, playing "Love Me Tender" while Thomas Edison's modern day twin plays bass behind him.

I have the movie of this couple who appear to be so strikingly angular that all we could wonder about was how they had sex without piercing each other in life-threatening places.

I have a video of sweet Caroline smiling more than she has since her dear Raymond died, swirling across the tiny dance floor as she waltzes with an old friend.

Now, I could download AND show you multiple videos of Marti and Mertis disco dancing over here Satruday night but Mertis swears she'll kill me and you know, I do believe she might. It was a night to remember!

And what I don't have on video, but do have etched in my heart forever is the funeral Sunday afternoon for dear Trae. The church was filled with brave, tearful high school children wearing Trae's favorite color, teal.

My heart broke over and over again as I watched those children turn a corner and become adults. One by one they walked past their friend in his casket, then turned to hug Trae's poor parents. They spoke or read or assisted as pall bearers or flower carriers with an aching composure that was all too apparent when you looked into their eyes.

They closed ranks around each other and we, their parents, were outside that circle, unable to take any of the pain away. It was a goodbye to Trae, to childhood, to invincibility, to the idealized world where children outlive their parents and goodbyes are never necessary.