Merci et Bon Voyage Nora Ephron

I was shocked by the news of gifted, witty, wonderful Nora Ephron's untimely death.  She had a unique voice and manner that was both romantic, hilarious and extremely perceptive.  Her accomplishments were many but to me her masterpiece will always be the marvelous, scintillating "When Sally Met Harry," and I honored her yesterday by watching that comedy which is still one of my favorites.  A writer always reveals her true self in her work and I saw in her a woman deeply aware of her mortality who was living her life with lots of joy, passion and humor, making each day count and urging us to embrace the moment and live as intensely as she did.  Who can forget the moment when Sally raises her pretty eyebrows and tells Harry, "Why, I'm glad to see that you're actually embracing life in this manner, Harry," when he divulges that he's getting married?  Who can forget the last scene in the movie when Harry realizes he's always loved Sally and runs to tell her?  Beneath that sharp, razor like wit hid an incurable romantic, a woman who viewed her life as the fantastic adventure that it really was.  She left a rich legacy of work because hers was a life well lived but unfortunately it was cut too short, and she fought a long, courageous battle at the end of her life.  Let's learn from her now and remember her with humor, gratitude and laughter.  Adieu Nora.

A Grim Anniversary

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Father's day and it's hard to believe that today is the somber anniversary of the Medford Killings that shocked New York, the country and the world.  A crime so heinous that we still can't get over it.  The fact that four innocent victims lost their lives in such a senseless manner will always haunt us on this day, and this date of joy and celebration will be forever marred by the tragedy in New York.  I can't speak for the other relatives, but I know the Fergusons personally and they have put the tragedy behind them.  Faced with the ultimate tragedy, they have chosen life over death.  They have chosen to honor the memory of their beloved son by going on with their lives, as he, with his generous spirit, would have wanted them to.  They have assimilated the loss with grace and dignity, gathering strength and fortitude from each other.  Raymond Ferguson would have expected nothing less from them.