Life Lessons At a Funeral
April 29th, 2008
Sometimes it takes something like death to really teach us about life. I recently went to a memorial service for a friend. Actually, he was my boyfriend’s former friend (they had had a falling out), but I guess at some point in time I had considered him mine as well. Craig was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was only 33 years old.
Attending his service was a lot more of an emotional experience for me than I anticipated. Initially, I went to support my boyfriend. After all, it was his loss more than it was mine. In the end though, I was the one that needed the consoling.
In his 33 years, Craig had managed to live an extraordinary life. He was a crazy guy who took risks and lived fully. He died happy. The things that his family and friends had to say about him were beautiful, and they reminded me of what is really important in life: they way we live and the way we love.
Death does strange things to us. I have lost several people I love over the last few years, and it has forever changed me. Mostly for the better actually. Ironically, the months following the loss of my father was the happiest time of my life. For the first time in my life I started truly living and appreciating what I had left. School work, stress, crappy jobs, money - none of that shit even matters in the end, and it shouldn’t matter now either. My experiences with life and death have put things into perspective for me. Because of those experiences, I have developed much more idealists views, which I am proud to hold. (After all, idealism is ideal).
Every time I go to a funeral I am inspired to live better. It makes me think about how I would want to be remembered when I’m gone. Is it for being an A+ student? A dedicated and hard working employee? A person who made a lot of money but never had time or energy to spend it? Hell no. To me, those aren’t anything to be truly valued. Although most of us behave as though they are all that matters, I think we all know how trivial they are in the end.
I want to be remembered for how well I lived, who I loved, and where I had been…just like Craig was..
What do you want people to say at YOUR funeral?
