This Little Light of Mine. . . .

Family,

Sunday was a good day.  A long day, really.  Like most Sundays I had many things to do and many places to be.  After a long evening filled with a Sunday stroll, playing with children, eating dinner at 2 houses, and spending some time with my roommates, it was time for the climactic event.  The event that tops all events.  The birthday of my dear friend Karl.

Karl is a strange chap.  He called me one night last year and said, "Heather, I need friends and you're cool.  I have a girlfriend right now, but I need someone to come be my friend tonight with my friend who's visiting and his date. . . ."  I was also dating someone and thought this proposal quite strange, but then again, it was Karl!

To celebrate his birthday this year, he decided one morning at 4 a.m. (his evening) that he wanted to hold a candlelight vigil.  We all received and Evite and thought - wow - that's so Karl!  Here is what it said:


For my birthday I want a candlelight vigil.  So I am going to have one.  Here's the details:

First, if you can, dress in all black, or all dark colors.  I will have a cheap mask (maybe) to wear and a candle for you to hold.  (I am seeing a bunch of people holding candles in front of masked faces at night all dressed in black and I think it will be kind of surreal.)

To prepare for this solemn occasion we will attend services at Stanford Memorial church beginning at 9 PM: A reflective 30-minute service of hymns and chant sung in the tranquil candlelit ambiance of Memorial Church.

Then Bob, who will MC the event, will usher us onto the steps of Stanford by the Oval for a short program around 9:30:

Bob: Opening Remarks
Opening Hymn: "Choose the Right"
Group: Share feelings, song, poetry, or dance as you feel inspired to come before the group -- "what it means to be a friend" or "what it means to grow a year older" are all acceptable topics, or anything that is important to you, this is a safe environment for everyone to open up and share, no one will judge you--certainly not me.
Birthday Boy: Brief remarks
Happy Birthday / Irish Drinking Song: Whiskey in the jar (lyrics will be printed out, Bob will play the guitar, everyone sing, and carouse, then I guess shout Happy Bday, because the song has nothing to do with birthdays.)
Cupcakes

Go home by 10 PM.

I think it will be fun.  Or at least different. 

And it was different!  I don't think that I've ever laughed so hard in my life!  We all showed up at Memorial Church on Stanford's campus for the Sunday evening chant at 9 p.m.  At 9:30, as it ended, we exited the church and went outside and gathered, to memorialize . . . er . . . honor our dear friend.  His roommate Bob who conducted opened with "Thank you for coming to celebrate the life and eventual death of our friend Karl."  He then opened it up to remarks from the "mourners".  There were odes and haikus read in his honor, then we closed with an Irish drinking song that is still stuck in my head. (click on the link in the invite)

All in all, it was the most different and hilarious birthday "memorial" that I have ever been to!