Postponing Love

9:10pm It overshadowed the rest of the trip. No one knew exactly what to say, but everyone was watchful. Not doting, but ready to swoop in and be a rock of support because such moments require friends to be astutely sensitive; aware of the slightest hint of need and fill the space quickly with comfort. Experiencing the death of someone close to you for the first time is a stunning pain that reaches inside and turns you inside out. I love Arturo deeply. Once as my first boyfriend, but ultimately as one of my closest friends. The senseless loss of Jason will never be "right" for those that live on, but he can finally be at peace and with his mother at last.

There are earthly bonds that cannot compete with the connections that we keep with the dead. We should never think of someone as deficient who chooses their peace with one or the other.