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As one passes, another enters

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It never gets easier to attend funerals, no matter who you are, how old you are or what you've seen in life. And when it comes to this time of year, funerals are even more difficult.

The last funeral I went to was on Monday. Want to know how tough it was for me? I had tears in my eyes for a woman I never knew. Betty Povalish would have been 76 on Tuesday.

I know Betty's husband, Ed, who is one of the neatest people I've ever met. If there ever was someone who carried the distinct traits of myself, my grandfather and the father of my best friend, it would be Ed. He doesn't say much until he gets to know you, but when he does know you, he'll open up to you. And I've heard he's one of the smartest people you could ever know.

Now for me, it's hard to imagine being married to someone for so long, though one day I'd love to know what it feels like. Ed and Mrs. Betty had a great relationship for several decades. The first column I wrote in 2008 was about losing a dog I had known for 11 years and how much it affected me. That can't scratch the surface of what my friend and his wife had together. Maybe that's why I welled up. But maybe it's the season.

It's no fun to lose someone in the last few months of the year. In 2001, I lost my grandmother to lung cancer in October. A year later, I lost my father just a few days before Christmas. The holidays take on a whole new meaning when you've just lost someone. Although you try to place it in the back of your mind, the thoughts of them are still on your brain.

Thanksgiving is coming and going while the season of remembering and giving is coming upon us. We need to remember that it's family and friends that make us strong, not money and possessions. Our country has struggled in economic downturns lately, but we've still got each other.

In this new age of technology on the same day of Mrs. Betty's funeral, a younger friend of mine sent a text message to me that she's a brand new aunt. As one life passes another begins. It brings to mind that we should cherish every day we spend with those we love. And may I wish all of you a great holiday season and remember what matters most - each other.




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This story was originally published on November 28, 2008

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