Saturday evening around 5 p.m., as a group of people stood with lit candles and bittersweet thoughts of loved ones who have died, the stately oak tree on Morello Ave. lit up with the warm glow of electric lights.
It was the 26th annual tree lighting ceremony, sponsored by Hospice of the East Bay. This year the tree was dedicated to the Cathy McCause family, in honor of the late Pat Hoxworth Hill, Conrad Hoxworth and Alfred Hoxworth.
Creekside Church members provided the music, a memorial poem was read, and a moment of silence was held.
It was a moving experience, as it is each year, and a reminder that we are all joined in life as well as in death.
