“Whose birthday is it again, Aunt Alice," my nephew Eli asks, his mouth full of cake batter.

I wipe a stray drop of the chocolate batter from his cheek and tell him, "June 30 is Linda Day. My mom--your mom's mom, too--was Linda, and we celebrate her birthday every year to remember her and talk about how much we love her, even though she's not here with us." It's hard for a five year old to grasp, but today is a big day for my family.

My brothers are both here, ...