This has been a very sad week with little upside. There have been shooting rampages in Alabama and Germany, and a pastor shot and killed in Illinois. And while all those incidents are horrifying, they don’t strike home as deeply as the loss of a loved one.

Sarah’s Grandma, Sylvia Orman, died Wednesday at the age of 96. Sylvia was one of those special people you meet in life who seem to lack even a trace of malice towards anyone. She was amazingly active and sharp of mind right up until the last few days of her life. My parents thought the world of her and looked forward to seeing her whenever they visited Sarah’s parents in Connecticut. Christmas and barbecues in CT won’t be the same without her. I’ll miss her.