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You may notice I've added some photos to my blog. The top one shows our Walk for Lily team at the outset of the 2008 Overnight. We're walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, which was a really thrilling experience. You can see we're all smiling and upbeat. That's typical--the atmosphere at the Walk is more hopeful than sad.
The second photo is of the luminaria I left at the end of the Walk in Lily's memory. In contrast to the mood during much of the Walk, the ceremony that marks the end of the Overnight is cathartic and excruciating. The sun is rising; it is chasing away the darkness. Each walker is given a luminary upon which they write a message to the person who is gone. These luminaries are lined up all along the plaza where we start and end our journey. The long line of light is a moving sight, particularly with the sunrise--a symbol of hope and a new beginning--in the background. But this is also the time when people fall apart and let their grief pour out. People who have been strong all night, for 20 miles and many hours when they would ordinarily be sleeping, show their vulnerability and the healing they have yet to achieve. I felt lucky and honored to be a part of this ceremony, despite it being nearly unbearable in its intensity. Truly an incredible journey...
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