The World has both ...

To day is the fourth anniversary of my brother's death, at 52.  I am 53, now one year older than he was.  Sometimes during this day, the world has seemed to have that dead, resonant silence it has for me on Good Friday, too. 

He left his lovely wife and three small wonderful children in Maine after he died, and we, my three other brothers and I and our older children, went up to Maine and moved stuff, and took care of farm animals too, and generally settled the estate, and then moved his awesome wife and wonderful children down here, so they could all be closer to us.

The day, four years ago, Nick died was like this one, it was a bad winter then, too.

Now, recently, we found ourself at the last minute with two small puppies, rescued from the shelter, and sometimes today I have to remember the world has both, death and exuberant life.