Friday, November 4, ctd.

  After the niche-side ceremony, we drove to The Smokehouse for lunch in their private room. Many people had Manhattans in honor of Ren, and I had a G&T. (He liked those too and not as strong for this lightweight!) We ordered from a fixed menu that was generally good, plus the Boston Crème Pie for dessert. The wife of Son 1 gave me printed cards she'd had made with a prayer and Ren’s name on one side, and a picture of BVM on the other. Very sweet of her. I handed them out to everyone. The lunch was generally upbeat, and it was great to see the family all come together.

Son 1's family had to leave afterwards to attend their youngest son's “Parents’ Weekend” at UCSB. (Cancelled his first year because of Covid restrictions.) They were all there for the niche ceremony, which was the important one. (Their daughter, at school in Zurich, sent a lovely email expressing her appreciation of Ren.)

 That evening the rest of us attended the Burbank Art Club opening reception. My high school good friend and her husband were also there, as were Ren's cousins and their spouses. The Art Club had created a lovely display honoring Ren with his photograph and a book where anyone could write a few comments. The president said a few kind words about Ren's enthusiasm and his service to the organization. At the end of the presentation, we all sang along to “On the Road Again” accompanied by a guitar and led by a singer. It made me cry quietly, but Son 3 noticed and came over to put his arm across my shoulders.