I was especially close with my paternal grandmother, Kate. She was an active churchgoer and would often take me to a German church in San Francisco called Saint Boniface. Not only did she go to services often, she also went to almost every funeral in her parish, whether she knew the person well or not. When I asked her why, she replied, “Because not everyone has family. If I go to the funeral, I know that I am there to pray and pay my respects.”
