Life Well Lived

I was asked to perform at a funeral last week, for a member of our church I had never met.  Last Saturday was the day.  The man's name was Dennis, and he left behind three sons and a daughter, thirteen grandchildren, and his wife, Joan.  I didn't recognize Dennis' name as belonging to anyone I knew, until I saw the program on Saturday morning and saw him posing as a coach for Mt. Si Basketball.  Then I remembered.  As a high school student you recognize people who surround your life, people who stand out  without ever having made conversation, about whom you form opinions based solely on their demeanor or a random smile.  Your paths never intersect, but just sharing the same space, the same community, you know something about them.

Dennis, I remember, was genuinely kind.

Watching the video of his life, clips accumulated from first steps with the children, parties and graduations and weddings, kisses for grandchildren and Joan, I grieved that I had never sat down with this man.  I'm sorry now that I can't recall his voice.  I wish I had a story to tell about him.

I remembered on Saturday that people are truly an expression of God's creativity, and when we delight in our fellow man we delight in the One who created all of us.  How often do I view people as obstacles or duties? 

Later that day I performed again, this time for a wedding.  It was an exhalation of a long breath.  I watched two dear friends join together.  They were nervous, excited.  The future is ahead of them.  I sat there in my seat and smiled until my cheeks hurt, and felt happy.  It was a moment made all the more poignant by what I had seen and imagined earlier; life is fleeting, but it is infinite.  Death has lost its sting.  Who will we all be when we sit down together in the future, to laugh over stories about one another?  Paupers amidst riches; weary travelers before a feast.

Comments

[Susan]

Last Saturday was an emotional day to end an emotional week(since it was my last week at my school).
Unlike Chris, I did have the priviledge of knowing Dennis and family. His youngest, Mandy, is only a year older than me. He was a family friend my whole life and the principal at SMS when I was there. I helped out at the funeral and an SVA member told me that my life would pass before my eyes as I greeted at the front door. That ended up being a pretty true comment. I was able to greet my fifth grade teacher, who is a family friend, and several teachers from middle and high school(most of who I haven't seen since those years).
The day wasn't over yet because I also had the opportunity to join in celebrating Nathan and Angela's wedding.
From the celebration of life, it was easy to see how loved Dennis was. At the wedding, it was easy to see how in love Nathan and Angela are. Are we showing the ones that we care about how loved they are?

[Chris Clark]

I'm praying for you Susan, that as things sort themselves out in the next several weeks, you're able to process this new change in your life. How crazy, how many connections and things we got to experience that day, it really puts things into perspective.

[Susan]

Talking about putting things in perspective, it makes you think about how far you have come since your early years when you are expecting a visit from your Kindergarten teacher. Yes, you heard me right. My Kindergarten teacher, who is a family friend who I haven't seen in quite a few years, is coming to spend the night at my parents' house tonight. It's making me think about how far I have come since I was a student of hers.
Thanks for praying for my job hunt and ankle. For the guys who don't know, I am pretty sure that I am going to have to have surgery on my ankle.