I had intimate moments exchanged with my husband’s brother, sister, nieces, and their partners. It was a lot to process. But the most beautiful image was the release of 20 homing white doves from Irvine back to their home in Hacienda Heights.

First, CJ, the spouse who cared for her during her illness, released the first dove. It flew. Then, the three children, M, G, and M all released the doves at the same time, and they flew in unison. While the four flew, they waited for five more to join them until all twenty were released from their wooden cage. One lingered behind and did not fly, instead, the dove trainer caught the dove while all nineteen flew together, back to their home, except for the one that dilly-dallied.

It was a perfect metaphor that we all strive to be home, our eternal resting place, believing in life, death, and everlasting life, as practicing Catholics.

During the burial, I sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit: strong winds that blew down all three wreaths. The winds gave us a brief respite in the 87F weather, and the rest was still air and heat.

It was a day after my 70th birthday when we attended the wake and viewing to say goodbye to Sarah Flores Delacruz.

You could sense how she was endeared highly by her family and her faith community. I was proud of my daughter, C who described holidays spent in Irvine with her cousins, now sisters to her.

All came dressed in white, a uniformity we appreciated, uniting in grief, as we approached the burial site, the next day, perched on a hilltop.

Wish I could write more, but in deference to the family, not to social media, these snippets are to memorialize the love I felt.

I spoke to her spouse and said, “You showed her sterling love, the finest example.” He then shared what were some of his inner thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

Thank you, Holy Spirit and family organizers, for these beautiful days of grieving, full of love, rosary, prayers, open mic, and mass. The reception had tastefully curated foods that Sarah liked, and the tables were tastefully decorated with wildflowers.