Celebration of Life...And Death

The month of May has been challenging to say the least.
(And the 'least' I say the better, right?)

Early in May my family had the privilege of hosting/attending the 90th birthday of my Dad.  It was fun to do, especially since my sister-in-law Sally did most of the work while the rest of us did whatever she wanted us to do.

For once.

Anyway, that gathering was a great blessing to me, as it brought many friends, family, and associates together to honor my Dad and let him know how he had influenced them over the years.

It was a blessing too because I was able to work alongside my siblings in a way we rarely-if ever-get to do.
I was able to witness what other families see as commonplace- everyone working together for a common goal.

I knew my Dad had gained many friends over the years.  But to hear them share their pleasure at being included in this celebration really showed me that I'm in a pretty cool family. It was a joyful experience.

The following week I was notified of the death of a dear church lady.  This widow lady was someone I would call a 'delightful disaster.'  Ruth was the smartest, sweetest, most clueless person I ever met.  Everyone who knew her would just smile, shake their heads and say, "Bless her heart."

My most memorable experience with Ruth was the time she asked me to go with her to her late husband's graveside.  Once we got there she pulled her ukelele out of it's battered case, sat down on the grave and began playing and singing, 'Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey?"  It felt weird; but not much really felt weird around Ruth.

Ruth never met an animal she didn't love; she had nicknames and endearments for everyone's pets and remembered their names.  Interestingly, one of her requests for those attending her viewing or funeral was to bring their pet.  As I stood beside her casket I thought it was somehow fitting that my dog Teddy was there too.

As I left the funeral home that evening, I was struck by how similar yet different these two life events were.

One, my Dad's birthday, was celebrating his long life and the gathering of dear friends.

The other, Ruth's funeral, was also a celebration. I couldn't help but celebrate that Ruth was finally reunited with her husband Don and her son Joe there in Heaven.  I thought about how we had honored someone's life so far and celebrated where someone else's life is headed.

I'm so happy for my Dad.  I hope he understands how much he is loved (and sometimes simply tolerated!) by his friends, family, and golfing buddies.  Not many folks get the chance to experience so many healthy years with such good people.

But I'm especially happy for Ruth.  We had our differences to be sure.  But I can just picture her in Heaven, sitting at Jesus' feet, greeting (by name) every dog-cat-parakeet-bunny-guinea pig that she had ever loved while on earth. I wouldn't be surprised if God put her in charge of the Celestial Zoo and Kennel.

Now THAT would be heaven for her.

You're HOW Old???

Greetings from Ye Olde Funny Farm!

I just recently celebrated yet another birthday and I've made several observations:


You know you're getting old when:


Your friends admire your new orthopedic shoes

Even teenagers open the door for you

Waitresses automatically show you the back of the menu

When clothes shopping you find yourself saying, "It looks comfortable."

When you still have your favorite songs on cassette

Your adult children search your closet for the retro party they're throwing.

You can pretend you can't hear someone and they believe you

You find yourself comparing yourself to a peer and wondering if you look as old as they do

You realize a cute male model in a store looks like your grandson

When someone says your white hair looks good on YOU but THEY'D look too old

You see a photo of yourself from behind and you think it's your elderly aunt

Facebook pictures of your old high school friends show they've gotten older

You make fun of an old lady not dressing for her age and realize you're wearing the same shirt

While car shopping you skip over the red sports car in favor of the 4 door with more comfortable seats and is easier to get in and out of.

Those large print books and magazines at the library aren't funny anymore (and you find yourself cussing that the font size on your cell phone is miniscule)

and finally,

You know you're getting older when letting your hair go gray and you can't decide if you're embracing your age or giving up.


So my friends, thanks for the well wishes on my birthday and may I have many more!

See you later;I'm going over to a friend's house and steal her walking cane.