Life Observed

I attended a memorial service today. Through church service-related channels, this opportunity presents itself fairly regularly. I can't say that it is always an unwelcome assignment. The requirements being that I don't know the person well or at all and that they lived out a robust and lengthy life. As an observer and non-participant in the grieving, it then seems as it is a celebration. The quote on the program for the service today said "the only good thing about a funeral is that it gets the clans to gather". While true, it should not be the only good thing. It should remind us how to live and how to maximize our co-existence with others. At least that's what it reminds me.

Progression of time is a train that cannot be stopped. This gets abundantly clearer to me as it passes swiftly and leaves fine lines, creaky knees and rapidly growing children in it's wake. It leaves little time for games that manipulate feelings, grudges or anything that leaves yourself or someone else less than content. (It also leaves little time to clean house over and over again, but that's a different subject altogether). It reminds me to smile more. For me that's something that used to come so easily and frequent, but has been replaced by a seriousness that I'm not sure I like. And I'm certain that I would prefer to be remembered by my former temperament if the occasion arises. I certainly have no reason not to project happiness. We all have stuff that weighs on us, I guess the trick is to choose what 'stuff' displays on our face.

Anyway, I'm not planning my services just yet...although this does run in my family, I still remember my great-grandma Fern's manila envelope that dictated just how hers should go. But I will try live life in preparation for that eventual celebration, for the gathering of the clans. Hopefully by then we will have gotten past jingle bells so that I can have a proper violin solo of Hie to Kolob. If not, Miles can always play the Star Wars theme, which may be just as well.