In the month of May, I attended three memorial services. The first was for a former neighbor. His children were classmates of our children.  I hadn’t seen them in decades, and they are now adults with families of their own.  It was lovely to see them, although for a sad reason.

The second was for a professor at the Kennedy School where I had worked for so many years.  It was held in Harvard’s Memorial Church, attended by many of my former colleagues, most of whom I hadn’t seen since I retired twelve years ago.  It was lovely to see them, although for a sad reason.

The third was a small gathering of friends of a resident of the community we had just lost when our condominium had to be vacated.  The family had not had a formal ceremony after her recent death, so we gathered in the garden that she had loved behind the building we had vacated and remembered her with stories and photos. It was lovely to see those who were able to attend...