A picture taken almost 40 years ago, captures me laughing with my great uncle and rubbing his bald head. Little did I know that it was contagious!
After 90 years of vibrant living, he recently died. He proclaimed himself a “simple man.” He preferred less pretense and more authenticity.
He was a giver, a teller of good stories, the king of humorous one-liners, a businessman, and an independent thinker. With a playful enthusiasm, he proceeded through life. For instance, he always referred to his wife of more than 66 years as “Tiger.” He dubbed nicknames for an amazing number of the people he knew.
But, he also learned to live through adversity, as he fought in World War 2 and decades later lost a son to cancer.
The funeral really was good…therapeutic, hopeful, and true. And as I reflected on some of the good and bad funerals that I have attended over the years, it occurs to me that the primary prerequisite for a good funeral is good subject matter.
So, live well, love much, and you will be remembered with far more smiles and laughter, than tears.
Worth Repeating
You should always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise, they won’t come to yours.
-Yogi Berra
