I was just berating myself for not remembering the significance of yesterday in my own family history, and the particularly since the last twenty two years. I don't submit In Memorium entries into the classifieds of the local paper, but read them and the BDM's regularly just to check on people who I may have known.
Fortunately, I was able to get out of my brief funk by remembering the good times, the great times, and in the last instance the very short time that I got to share with these people physically and spirtually.
I can be thankful that one put me on the right track in life (along with others). His favourite saying was "It's Nice to Be Nice". He used to sing at parties, people actually asked him to sing, much to the mock embarrasment of his family. He was strong, brave, good with his hands, and good with people. I'm not strong, or brave or good with my hands, but I like to think I'm good with people.
I'm also thankful that someone else is still around, although scarred, and brusied after a horrific sporting accident. He too is an inspiration for his persistence, and his taking each day as it comes, willing to take whatever is offered and to overcome whatever hurdles come his way.
Finally, I'm thankful to be related to someone I never met, who never really had a chance on this earth, who didn't get a chance to breathe or grow. His parents, uncles and aunts, grandparents, relatives and friends will never forget him or the brief joy and enduring sadness and anguish he brought into our lives.
I worry at times that I'm the same age now, as the bloke in para 3 above was when he breathed his last. Sure there are hurdles in life, there's stress, and pain, and suffering, but there is also untold boundless joy, making and keeping friends, watching nephews and nieces grow into young adults, even over-exericising the litle grey cells in the salt mine, not to mention travelling to and from the salt mine, butfor me principally, there is the joy of singing in a community choir, the joy of volunteering in a genealogical society, the joy of occasional travel, of good (and bad) red, white and ale.
Who wants to be maudlin. Not me Chief, I'm happy. Happy to help, happy to be of service, and happy to be a friend to those with whom I am friends.