---
title: "Standing in the Cold"
date: 2022-01-07
url: https://learningischange.com/2022/01/07/standing-in-the-cold/
author: Ben Wilkoff
categories: ["Uncategorized"]
tags: []
---

# Standing in the Cold

Yesterday I wore 2 hats, 2 pairs of gloves, a pair of long underwear and a black suit. I wore these clothes to attend the funeral of a family friend: Jamie Lynn Sullivan.

![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/99F7986D-5245-4C62-91DA-4997BCB94C73.jpeg)

I stood outside at Fort Logan Cemetary with nearly a hundred others. It was far below freezing (hence the clothing), but I wasn’t cold. I was with those who loved her most, those who respected her work and her life. The community who gathered is one that has only grown in my estimation as I have gotten to know them further since Jamie was killed on December 4, 2021.

Love is a funny thing. It grows with commitment and support. It dies in isolation and with division. As we stood together with one another out in the cold, I could feel the love growing and surrounding us. We were not warm because we wore multiple layers. We were warm because we were gathered together in a single purpose: to remember her and support those she left behind.

We will continue to stand together: for warmth, for community, and for love.