
Yesterday at a family gathering--Corey had planned for many months to be there--I brought the framed photo with me along with one of my mom. I set them out on the picnic table as we shared stories and ate Southern-style barbeque with my brother's delectable cole slaw and baked beans.
Just before I thought about blowing out the candles on the cake that my daughter Julia made, I leaned over to reposition the photo of my mom that I'd brought. Julia captured the moment on my iPhone.
Last night as I reviewed the photos before going to sleep, I saw what no one could have seen in the moment. The strawberries make red hearts, and some of the candle flames on the white plate make hearts. And the tiny flames from the cake candles make a reflective halo around Corey's head--reminding us all that she is in the light, and she is still with us.