Go Bartons! I spent a lot of time with Elaine and Nana when they were both living on Love Lane in Brooklyn. I would often go over there for dinner and sit around for hours just laughing about really crazy things. That is something I most admired about Elaine, and I think Nana had the trait too - no matter how tough, how upsetting things could get and did get, they could ALWAYS find some ridiculous strain of humor in the situation and just laugh at the absurdity of it all. I think those times really helped me be less serious about the crappy things in life that plague us all. In truth, I think we all have this gene in us, to see the humor behind situations. I think it is a trait that shows how resilient we are, as survivors, as people with good intelligence who know, instinctually, that it is not ok to give up, give in, or in any way accept the defeat life can seemingly demand. In other words, Go Bartons! (or whatever our paternal grandfather's real name was!) Elaine embodied this spirit, every day, in her never-ending struggle with her very real problems. And we embodied it too, by the fact that we never gave up on her, even with the behavioral difficulties that went with her illness. God Bless you Elaine, for being in our lives - you made us intrepid!! We miss you. And if possible, please send money! We love you, Karen