Here in the San Francisco Bay Area for my mother’s funeral, it occurred to me that she is the reason our family is gathering in this spectacular place. Quick story:

When my father was offered his choice of FBI offices circa 1960, he and my mother chose Los Angeles where her parents had retired.  While in L.A. for a house hunting trip, my mother drove up to San Francisco to visit a friend.  Setting eyes for the first time on a cool river of fog rolling beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, she called my dad and said, “we need to be here”.   Forever more, my five siblings and  I would call the most beautiful city in the world ‘our home’.

While in this ‘other’ Bay Area, I’ve been retracing the steps of my earlier life.  It all looks more breathtaking than ever, but with the absence of my mother- the center of gravity and north star of my life,  my home town feels a little empty.

The funeral is Tuesday March 8th. We’ll take mom’s ashes to the coast and make the Pacific Ocean her final resting place.