Blaine and I attended a memorial today. It hit very close to home seeing as it was the father of one of our old youth kids. He wasn't in an accident, wasn't sick, had no chance of saying goodbye. He just went in for a routine surgery that is done all the time and unfortunately never walked out.
One thing said during the service that really stuck in my head was this.
"Each one of you kids has a precious gift up here in your head. That gift is a story that contains every special moment ever shared between you and your father. Know this, your father loved each one of you dearly, he talked highly of you and cherished his moments with you." "Now, you with friends and loved ones, what kind of stories will you leave behind? How did you leave your loved ones today? Did you give a hug, say I love you, or did you leave in a matter you wouldn't be proud of?"
I immediately thought how we left for the funeral. This is what our kids would have remembered ....
Blaine and I joked about how he hogged all the spaghetti with sauce for himself and left us the plain noodles. Blaine taught Malakai how to climb up with his feet in an entrance way. This led to everyone giving a go at it. Then as I went downstairs to get ready I could hear Blaine and the kids wrestling (loudly I might add) upstairs. The reaction was loads of roaring laughter. I remember giving quick instructions of behavior while we were gone and then as we were walking out the door, Blaine stopped looked at me and said "you look beautiful." Off we headed to the car with a quick bye to Malakai, a "stay safe" and "I Love you!" I think we may have added a good page with this afternoon.
Makes me wonder though what others will say at my funeral. Makes me think harder about how I leave people, end conversations and think harder before I speak.
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