I’ve always loved this. Someone had sent it to Cyndi (my sister). My heart aches for all of you. 

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.

Washington Irving

It was a joy having Silas as a nephew.  

I first got to hang out with baby Silas in Portland during his first year, as well as when we stayed at Ripple Creek Cabins and it was my turn to hold him during game time.  He was not at all fussy.   

One of our favorite Silas quotes was from when he was a little older and he said "let's talk about trucks and cars."   I'm sure Marty will have more to say about that...  

Silas always had a great smile and was up to having fun.  I do recall that he did not like being told what and when to eat....

Dutifully, he was one of two ring bearers at our wedding in 2003 when he was about to turn 6.  The expressions on Silas in the photos seemed to say that he could be having more fun, and we didn't blame him.   Eddy, who was also there, said, "this is silly."

We always looked forward to seeing Silas and his big smiles during the holidays or any chance we could get.  We were fortunate to have Silas visit often in San Francisco with Emily, Eddy, Jefferson, Carson, and sometimes Carolyn, and of course we saw Silas when we went to Portland for the holidays etc and it was always a special time to be with family.

During COVID, we had video chats with him, the three of us and enjoyed getting caught up on his news and discussing the world around us.  

I'm glad he visited us last year when he was in Portland for the holidays, and we had dinner, hung out and listened to music, aside from the big Christmas gathering at "Pink Grandma's."  We took turns selecting music and I now have Eagles Radio on my Pandora for Silas' pick.

Most recently, Silas reached out to me by text and informed me that he was going to start botany studies and I was thrilled about that and him committing to make some positive changes.  I was very eager to have him visit us in our new home, now that we are back in Portland.  I got to share information about the new yard, and visiting with my brother and niece from New York, and he was a very thoughtful communicator.

Sadly, that is not going to happen now, but I will always treasure the memories of Silas and I can happily know that he was loved by the many people he touched, friends and family alike.  

May his beautiful spirit live on and may he rest in peace.

From Carolyn Laughlin:

He was exceptionally kind, good and generous, the most of anyone i've ever known. He had unusual physical strength, energy and humor.

I remember hiking a trail with him and others-he would disappear into the brush then reappear far up the trail, hanging from a limb!

I remember taking him to indoor rock climbing club-i would glance away for a minute and he had scrambled to the top, effortlessly-in just seconds!

I remember his charisma and good looks-women of all ages would turn their heads!

I remember his going into the kitchen and mixing everything there was together-including all the spices- saute it and proudly offer me some! I thought good for mortar?

I remember, many times, needing a straight answer and getting an elaborate imaginative creation!

There was touching, pain and tears-struggling to find a place!