A life lived....

 

 

"Some lives can be lived for close to a century. Other lives are cut short, way too short. We need to hold every minute of every day and cherish it..." 

We went to a funeral this week. It was for the son of a family friend. It was my second funeral for a young person. As we got closer to the funeral parlor, I told my wife I would rather be at the dentist getting a root canal than be at this funeral. Not that I did not want to be there to support our friend - I did not want his son to be dead.

I know there are many who have been to the funeral of a young person, so you know of what I am trying to say. It is an unnatural act. The old should not bury the young. It should be just the reverse.

Both of the funerals of the young men who died, were killed in some kind of auto accident. The first a car, the second a motorcycle. The first funeral was for a 19 year old young man from Hopkins. A great kid, an only child, and a ton of potential in his future. However he made a slip in judgment which cost him his life - and almost cost our oldest daughter hers. It was just that quick, and it was over.

The funeral of this young man was so large, it had to be held in the auditorium of Hopkins High School. On the stage lay his casket, covered with his high school letter jacket. He was so accomplished in high school, his letters and awards all but covered every square inch of fabric. All that study, all that training for sports, all that preparation for college life - gone in the blink of an eye.

I attended his funeral by myself. I was just one of the hundreds that packed into the auditorium. My wife was not there. She was still at our daughter's bedside at North Memorial. I will never forget that experience. Not only the loss, but the lost. Many people looked so totally lost. It was surreal. Unreal. Unnatural.

This past week when my wife and I pulled in the funeral parlor, the Patriot Guard was out in front. They were there acting as an honor guard for my friend's son. He was a Navy vet and deserved that type of honor. The funeral parlor was packed. It was absolutely standing room only. Many, many people. Some older, many young. Many old high school chums of my friend's son. Then I saw that look I had not seen for years. Loss and lost. People not knowing what to say, what to do. Again, surreal, unreal and unnatural.

After we left, I once again pondered a basic thought. It is a thought that many of us have or have had. Life is precious. Life is fragile. Life can turn on a dime. One of my very wise friends on Facebook quite often closes a posting by saying this - "Tell someone in your family you love them today". Amen to that, as we never know if this day will be the last we can say that.