Erin: Last week, we gathered at a river.

It was just as poetic and lovely in real life as it sounds. Family traveled from our far corners—Pittsburgh and Florida and California, my dear Frederick, and good ole’ Baltimore—and we gathered by that beautiful river and we remembered my sweet, funny, smart, and lovely grandmother Charlotte who died a year ago.

One of the benefits of a life well-lived and well-loved is that people will miss you when you are gone and want to remember you. And we really did. There were tears, of course, but also funny stories and lots of she-would-have-loved-thises and I-can’t-believe-she-is-gones.  We also wanted to do something. Remembering is active after all.

So my aunt Holly brought a lantern (completely biodegradable in case you were worried) from one of her science units, we ignited the flame . . .

. . . and we launched that purple lantern into the darkening sky.

We watched in silence as the purple lantern faded from sight, each of us sharing one heart in that moment, remembering together.

Today, there are people gathering at other waters to remember another lost loved one. Our friend Courtney from Our Small Moments is saying goodbye to her way too young husband Scott. Her two small children and all the friends and family who loved him over the course of his too short life will honor his memory with a celebration. There will be funny stories and tears and he-was-too-damn-youngs and cancer-can-suck-its. There will be that visceral need to just remember him.

Our blogging friends have all been sucker-punched by the sad story of Scott’s diagnosis of angiosarcoma of the pleura in December to his death this week even while we have been astounded by our friend Courtney’s limitless supply of love, honesty, faith in God, and hope through his illness. We want to remember Scott and help our friend. We want to remember the family that they were by helping the family they are now. We want to remember together.

In that vein, we have joined forces to create a Give Forward campaign that will help Courtney with all of the medical bills they have accrued over the year. Consider giving with us in remembrance of someone you love. Remembering is an act, after all.

To read more about this family’s honest and lovely “small moments”, visit Courtney’s blog.

Also, if you are so inclined, our blogging friends have written some beautiful posts about this family too.

You can read Leslie’s, Ilana’s, Stephanie’s, Jen’s, Kim’s, Kerry’s, Janel’s, Rebecca’s, Kelley’s, Meredith’s, Paige’s, and Allison’s.

We can all remember this young man.

Consider this a fleetful of purple lanterns let loose upon the internet.

-Erin and Ellen

Click here to donate to the Give Forward campaign for Scott’s family.