A Few Observations

May 13, 2013

One of Ron's beloved roses.

Thank you to everyone for your sympathy and good wishes. I returned from my mom’s over the weekend and all went as well as could be expected. My stepfather’s funeral took place Thursday, and we had a lunch for family and friends at the house afterwards. It was good to see my stepbrothers and their families as well as my aunt and two of my cousins, despite the reason for the visit.

On my flights and drives to and from my mom’s, I had some time to think, and I came up with a few random observations to share with you:
  • The longer the flight, the less room you’ll have between you and the seat in front of you. My knees actually touched the seatback.
  • There is always a baby. Be kind to the parents and grateful you are not in their shoes.
  • People are fascinating. What they wear, what they say, how they behave.
  • When your airplane makes a sound like someone trying to saw through the floorboards, don’t panic. That’s what Xanax is for.
  • Even if you don’t know the deceased, you will cry at a military funeral. If you knew and loved the person, prepare to dissolve completely into a puddle.
  • Life is short. Do the things that matter.
Again, thank you for your kindness—let’s all have a great week!

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8 comments

  1. Cheryl GebhartMay 13, 2013 at 11:53 AM

    The rose is gorgeous, as is your photo of it. I like your random thoughts, especially "Life is short. Do the things that matter." So true!

    I have to agree also that it is always good to see family you don't get to see very often - I think that is probably the only good thing about a funeral. Glad it went well for you.

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  2. Kathy A. JohnsonMay 13, 2013 at 1:05 PM

    Thanks, Cheryl. Seeing the family was a definite bright spot and I enjoyed that very much. It's hard to live across country from my family, so I appreciate any time I do get to see them.

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  3. Laure FerlitaMay 13, 2013 at 1:08 PM

    Such a beautiful rose! Ron was a talented gardner.

    Glad there were positive aspects to the trip and that it went well.

    Like Cheryl, I have to agree that "Life is short. Do things that matter" is my fav. We all tend to think we'll never run out of time, but we do.

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  4. Kathy A. JohnsonMay 13, 2013 at 1:23 PM

    I agree--we (I) feel like all the time in the world lies ahead of us (me), when instead life is utterly finite, with no guarantees of even one more day. I don't want to obsess about this, but simply enjoy every day, and try to accomplish at least one meaningful thing, even if it is small.

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  5. Claire MMay 16, 2013 at 9:38 PM

    Beautiful rose! Sorry to hear about your loss. Give your loved ones a big HUG!!

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  6. Kathy A. JohnsonMay 17, 2013 at 8:33 AM

    Thank you, Claire. I did! :)

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  7. Oregon Gifts of Comfort and JoyMay 18, 2013 at 10:33 AM

    Hi Kathy, I'm glad that you enjoyed your visit, even though the reason for it was sad.

    I especially like your advice of life is short so do the things that matter.

    Kathy M.

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  8. Kathy A. JohnsonMay 19, 2013 at 7:33 PM

    Kathy--Definitely a piece of advice for us all to remember. Thanks for taking time to visit and comment--I know you've been especially busy lately.

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