I woke up to the news that my friend Craig has died. It was less than a month ago when his sister Teresa, also a dear friend, texted me to tell me that, after some investigation, they were blindsided by the news of a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Teresa sent regular updates via CaringBridge of their journey through attempted treatment, and ultimately to hospice care to make him as comfortable as possible for his remaining days. I know that journey well and sent them all so much l

“Now that we have a quiet moment,” the volunteer coordinator at the library said to me, pulling me aside in the momentary lull of our book sale. A normally jovial woman got very serious for a moment. I thought, “Uh oh. She’s gonna tell me to ‘tone it down.’” I’d been laughing and goofing with the patrons of our book sale and the other volunteers—per usual since I'd arrived for my three-hour shift. What she said next shocked me. It might have surprised many people in my life w