…are looking forward to their college graduation.  Their fourth roommate, Tara, passed away in February from brain cancer.  They’re sorting through the clothing racks, because they “don’t have anything to wear!”  This is a true comment this time.  They want to wear Tara’s favorite color at the ceremony.  It’s teal.  They’d call her T-2, for Teal Tara.  There’s laughter and tears, as they move through the racks and their endless reminiscent stories.

Pause in the aisle.  They scroll the photos of years of cool memories in their phones:  Moving day, into the rental house.  The chihuahua they adopted Freshman year, and kept secret at the dorm.  Tara’s 21st birthday, Junior year, at the Usher concert.  With the cute guy at the campus voter-registration (“Hot!”).  The Fab Four Roommates, cozy around Tara at her hospital bed.

Today, there’s Target without Tara.  Except that fresh popcorn smell, which brings her back.  Tara would side wind straight to the counter for popcorn, first thing.  The allure was greater than the actual taste, once you ate halfway down the bag.   Hey, Tara’s really all over this side of the store.

How do you mourn and celebrated…. mourn and celebrate…mourn and celebrate those you’ve loved, who have passed?   The process is a circle, just like life.