Sorry for your loss, and applause for expressing it so well.
It's perhaps harder to be sorry for your friend's loss, as we don't know what it is. Where is the proof the life is better than death? There is none, but only each of us trying to understand the unexplainable.
In the absence of any information, truth remains impossible, and we are left only with the stories we tell ourselves about the truth. And so the question becomes, not what is true, but what's a good story? What kind of story serves us best?
I don't know the answer to that either, but for myself, I'm going with the near death experiences story for now. That seems a mighty fine story to me.
That's such a beautiful and sensitive tribute to them both. Your mother-in-law indeed did not mess around re. food. If that spread is in N.Carolina, they're no strangers to lox, bagels and rugelach.
Baruch Dayan haEmet. I did not know your mother-in-law obviously but I knew Blake Hounshell's writing a little bit and that death is beyond horrible and far too young.
People contain multitudes: we know that, in our heads. But it seems to always startle us to find out on an immediate, personal basis, how many facets there are to the people in our lives that we didn't know about.
I am so sorry for your double loss. Thank you for sharing your memories of your MIL and your colleague, so eloquently.
Thanks for writing this Dan.
Sorry for your loss, and applause for expressing it so well.
It's perhaps harder to be sorry for your friend's loss, as we don't know what it is. Where is the proof the life is better than death? There is none, but only each of us trying to understand the unexplainable.
In the absence of any information, truth remains impossible, and we are left only with the stories we tell ourselves about the truth. And so the question becomes, not what is true, but what's a good story? What kind of story serves us best?
I don't know the answer to that either, but for myself, I'm going with the near death experiences story for now. That seems a mighty fine story to me.
Thank you for sharing that, Dan. I too lost a long-time friend in the POLMIL world last week; your thoughts are timely and touching.
Thank you for your feelings, thoughts and words, Daniel. This piece was very well done. I wish I had known your mother-in-law.
That's such a beautiful and sensitive tribute to them both. Your mother-in-law indeed did not mess around re. food. If that spread is in N.Carolina, they're no strangers to lox, bagels and rugelach.
Baruch Dayan haEmet. I did not know your mother-in-law obviously but I knew Blake Hounshell's writing a little bit and that death is beyond horrible and far too young.
People contain multitudes: we know that, in our heads. But it seems to always startle us to find out on an immediate, personal basis, how many facets there are to the people in our lives that we didn't know about.
I am so sorry for your double loss. Thank you for sharing your memories of your MIL and your colleague, so eloquently.
Well written and moving tributes. Not all academics are capable of that.
Sorry for your losses. It's been a tough three years.
My condolences to your family.