Sometimes you really get a feel for the transitory nature of this life. As I've mentioned before, my normal habit lately has been to go to my dad's (1.5 hrs away) on Saturday night and take him to Mass and get him his supper. As such I've been seeing a lot of people I haven't seen in years--some folks with whom I went to high school or their parents. One couple I've seen frequently were parents of a classmate of mine and one of the "pillars" of my dad's parish. They were there last Saturday night. Sunday morning the husband died suddenly and unexpectedly. Tonight at mass the family was there and Father made mention of the fact that R had been at this mass last week and that we never know when a mass will be our last mass.
Last week I also went to mass in my parish, something I'm not doing all so often anymore, since I'm going on Saturday nights with my dad. I was the lector and in our parish the lectors and the Extraordinary Ministers gather in the sacristy before mass. Mention was made of one of the "pillars" of our parish and that he had decided he'd had enough medical care and called hospice. A few days later I got an email saying he had died.
I grew up across the country from extended family so great aunts and uncles and other folks who died were more acquaintances than beloved family members, and since we were so far away, we didn't go to the funerals. Since we've been together, my husband lost his Dad and I've lost my Mom. Lately we've gotten to the age where we are going to the funerals of friends' parents with some regularity. Still, being at St. Thomas again on a regular basis has, along with my daughter's impending high school graduation and planned move to college, really brought forth to me how life moves on. I'll see old schoolmates and note that they definitely look middle-aged now (and I do too). The old people who are dying off are my parent's generation, not my grandparents. I have classmates who are grandparents (and honestly, I'm old enough to be my youngest child's grandmother).
I've thought about this a lot lately. Tomorrow we're going to the funeral of a dear friend's father. He lived to 90 - had a very full life and was a good person - a pillar, you might say. I guess that's the best we can hope for here on earth.
ReplyDeleteIt is tough to be so far away as my friend's parents pass- even uncles and aunts. Life continues forward.
ReplyDeleteAs I get ready for my second and third grandchild, I look at the world a different way. What do I want to pass on to them? My motto is --forget the past- start now. I am settling back into my faith, looking at what it has to offer my grandchildren. It is good.
Our parents are passing the torch- we will be the pillars now?
Really liked this post. I can identify with everything you wrote. A few years ago the father of kids I babysat in high school passed away. In recent years the most pressing question for me is passing on the preciousness of the Catholic faith - how I do that. All the wealth and prestige in the world isn't worth passing on, but the knowledge of the kingdom of God is.
ReplyDeleteIsn't interesting, that we can forget that "we" have become the older generation? My dad died a few months ago and it was so apparent at his funeral, that we are "pillars" of our family. I still th ink at times, that I'm one of the young ones and I'm not!
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