So, I generally keep things light on this blog but this was an unfortunate week for a friend. She lost her father. He passed away peacefully after being diagnosed with a terminal disease. While it was unfortunate, she knows he is in a better place. And it was kind of cool to see the outpouring of support she received.
This is the first funeral I've been to in DC. It was held in Brookland, a part of Northeast DC that my great-grandparents used to live in. I had not met her father and it turned out the dynamic African-American woman who officiated the service and the eulogy had not either. And yet, her message was compelling.
Her point was there should be a record of the life you lead, an imprint, emotional DNA left behind that anyone can come in and see. She was left with the task of figuring this man out post mortem and discovered he loved Old Westerns, the Redskins and was a self-proclaimed gadget man. From that she implied he understood good and evil and that good always wins. After all, that is the story of the Old Western. He was faithful; a Redskins fan must be faithful given their ups and downs. And he was curious and appreciated life; hence why he was a gadget man who delighted in figuring things out.
I do know from the stories shared by friends and family in the room that her eulogy was not a stretch, that in fact, he was a good, faithful, loyal man, father, husband and friend. My favorite anecdote shared was a nephew who prefaced his remarks with "Excuse my language" and then talked of his uncle exclaiming "Hot damn, this is good food!" at family holidays. But all those little anecdotes add up to a life and it makes me wonder... what three things would the record show?
About Me
- Jay Girl
- Washington, DC, United States
- I'm a twenty-something with an adventurous spirit who loves living in the city. In the work that I do and the life that I live, I want to make a difference - and enjoy life along the way.
Washington, DC
Machu Picchu
Montmartre
Tokyo
Porto Novo, Benin
Garden of the Gods, Colorado
Paris
London
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading this thoughtful piece. As the years go by I tend to perceive people as fitting into one of three categories; those who make things better and bring a certain amount of positive energy to most situations, those who make little impact either negatively or postively, and finally those who typically make things worse and seemingly suck the energy, hopes and dreams from those around them.
Obviously, most people don't fit into these categories 100% of the time. I have observed, however, that you can pretty well predict the impact a certain person is going to have on a situation with about 80-90% accuracy.
Those who make things better and bring energy are those who can see the big picture. They are often selfless and are willing and able to subordinate their own needs to what is good for others. I see you obviously fitting in this category.
The people in the bottom category, for whatever reason, cannot or choose not to see the big picture or to recognize needs beyond their own. I do not believe all of these people are inherently bad or evil. Their lack of vision or consideration of others may be born out of their own weaknesses or insecurties.
I believe the older I get the more I am energized and encouraged by those who have the positive energy and the more, I quite frankly, avoid the other people. In fact, a little over a year ago, I had a teacher who would clearly fit in the bottom category, complain to me that I showed obvious preferences in my attention and actions with regard to certain staff members as opposed to her.
I believe her assessment was accurate.
I believe it is important for the energy providers in the world to not allow the energy suckers in the world to drain them.
It is something that is easier said than done.
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