This has been an unusually refreshing and rejuvenating day for me. Beside the fact that May is here and we finally got some sunshine after several days of rain, the events of the day have lifted my spirit and renewed my hope for the future. Even while suffering from a shooting pain below my right shoulder blade which strikes me at unexpected times, I find myself thankful for having come in contact with people whom I consider privileged to know and call friends. Sure, part of it may be the martinis speaking, but it goes deeper than that.
A very close friend of our son Mike lost his father a few days ago. Today, we attended a memorial service for Abs' dad. It was not a typical funeral, at least from my experience, but it seemed such an appropriate occasion to me. I never really knew the deceased, but after having heard his two sons, their mother, and several close friends recall their special times with him, I came away with the feeling that he was a guy I wish I would have known. A man who loved books, who would take the opposing side in most discussions just for the sake of argument, who liked to party and saw the subtle absurdities of situations, a thinker.
No minister spoke about the deceased, his devotion to family, community or church. But first his eldest and then youngest sons shared their experiences, memories, and thoughts about their dad. As most dads are, he was obviously so influential in their lives, but they were able to talk about their father in ways that I could never have spoken about my dad. I'm sure it wasn't easy for them, but it was obvious that they are "chips off of the old block" and their love for their dad compelled them to convey in some way the fact that they were privileged to be his sons. Several friends of the deceased then rose to relate their fond memories of special occasions, so at the end I felt that this man had had a significant and positive influence on the lives of all of those who knew him. What more could one want to be remembered for.
We live next door to an attractive young couple, 40 years my junior. They have a young, 20 month old son who keeps us entertained when he plays in our shared driveway, on the sidewalk or in their yard. These neighbors had a party tonight. We were privileged to be included with their other guests who were mostly friends from their recent college days. Their friends actually talked to us and seemed interested in what we had to say. The fact that I supplied a few martinis for the party might have helped, but I don't think that was a deciding factor. Maybe they were just being nice, but it certainly was a delight for me to have the opportunity to share an actual substantive conversation with nubile, handsome young people! Granted, we didn't get into deep, philosophical or political conversations (on which we might not have agreed), but the topics were current, relevant, and not just fluff, and my take was that our country may actually survive after people my age are gone from the scene.
Finally, the fact that I enjoyed myself today is a positive. I was able to interact with other persons on this planet whom I respect and with whom I consider myself fortunate to have come in contact. They enriched my life and pleased me. Not that it is all about me, but whom else am I really qualified to speak for?
I really appreciated that you and Marcia took the time to come to the service, Don. It wasn't all that easy to get up there and talk, but it was definitely made easier with so many caring people there with us.
And I'm quite certain that you and Dad would have gotten along famously.
Posted by: Abs | May 18, 2009 at 12:07 PM