A Life Well-lived.

I attended a memorial service today.  It was a celebration of the life of Charley – a warm, kind, talented, generous, wonderful man, husband and father; who died, too young, from pancreatic cancer.

One of the good things about cancer (the list is very short!) is that it gives you time.  Time to say what wants to and/or needs to be said.  Time to create memories, albeit bitter-sweet ones.  Time to talk about what might happen after you die.  You can add to the list. Charley and his family did all of these things, and more.

The service, held in a beautiful Methodist church, was beautiful.  Charley loved flowers – the flowers were glorious.  Charley loved music – the music (choir, organ, oboe and congregational singing) was beautiful and meaningful.  Charley had a stunning sense of humor – there was abundant laughter amid the tears of sadness.  Charley was real – 4 people spoke, each from a different aspect of Charley’s life and each shared stories, from those different perspectives.  No surprises.  Charley was Charley, no matter what the perspective.  The ministers were inspirational and profound.  Charley was a Child of God who has passed into the peace that passes all understanding.  God’s grace was abundant and palpable in this celebration of a life, too short, but well-lived.

May we all be so fortunate.