Today my uncle’s memorial took place in the outskirts of Chicago and resembled a family reunion, as these occasions tend to do. Last time I’d been to Chicago was a spontaneous trip at the end of 1999 (I flew on one day’s notice), when my uncle was still in good shape, before my cousin moved to Colorado, and before his grandsons were born.
My father and I each spoke a bit as representatives of our Canadian branch of the family tree, and I became the de facto photographer to document the afternoon. At least my dad was able to speak before the slideshow, because the collection of photographs made everyone emotional, including the rest of us who were due to speak.
