On Friday, a young man's parents had to make the difficult decision to remove their son from life support. He was a popular football player and would be the first in his family to graduate. He was well liked and admired. His accidental death was a tragedy for the school I teach at and everyone's heart broke for his family's loss, for the school's loss. The school community came together to mourn this young man's passing and, in some way, celebrate his life.
When people die, we often gather together because as a people, we need the kind of healing closure that being with others who are mourning can provide. We can remember who they were and express our love in some measure, sealing the memories of those we were close to, or close enough to, in our hearts and minds.
