Memorial

5/23/20 A memorial service on Zoom

A remarkable woman passed away a couple of weeks ago. A relative through marriage, she was 103 and healthy to the end. Though I didn’t see her often, I was honored to have known her.

She lived in L.A., and we most certainly would have flown down for her memorial service if these had been normal times. Instead, we clicked a link in an email for a Zoom event. I have attended many Buddhist memorial services, but this was a first: The minister performing rites, chanting and gonging, while wearing a mask. Likewise, the few family members in attendance were masked.

Moved by the remembrances and stories that were shared, I felt my eyes fill, blurring the screen. I wanted to hug my family members and give condolences. Instead, I sketched. If I had been actually attending, I would never have sketched, but in the privacy of our kitchen, I couldn’t resist. And I knew that she would have wanted me to and would have delighted in the result. That’s the kind of person she was.