July 1

Her laugh broke the silence. The immediate family sat in the front row, friends and relatives sat behind them. Most everyone was in dark attire with a few exceptions. Music could be heard playing very softly, and the lighting was low. A few moved about here and there whispering and talking amongst themselves. A constant rain outside was filtered somewhat by the roof of the building. Wet umbrellas sat at the feet of those gathered inside. A man walked in and began talking to the crowd. He spoke softly and with gentle words. He was telling a story about how he and Bill had grown up together and played in the field behind their house for hours on end. The winters they played in the snow until they couldn’t feel their fingers or toes. The two of them double dated and graduated high school together. He expressed that he felt as close to Bill as he did his own brother. When he finished another man spoke about working with Bill and his dedication to his co-workers and his firm. How Bill went above and beyond the eight-hour day, always. He spoke of how dependable and self-motivated Bill was and how any one would be honored to have him as an employee. When Bill’s wife spoke, a tear trickled down her check as she reminisced about how they met and the story they wrote together. She told of their two children and what a joy they were to raise and the blessing they were to her and Bill. She expressed how proud Bill was of them and who they had become and what they had accomplished in their lives. A woman close to the back broke out in laughter and her laugh broke the silence that had filled the room. She apologized and excused herself as she slipped out grasping her cell phone in her hand.