PHOTO: The father I know better now because I have a lot of him in me.I probably shouldn't do my own repairs! PHOTO CREDIT: Louis Caruso.
My dad was born on April 26, 1906. He died 77 years later.
I didn’t know him as well as I should have because, like most kids, I had blind spots when it came to my parents.
For example, my dad was a bit frugal. He’d often remind us, “Close the door. We’re not heating the outside.” Well, as a plumber, he knew a little bit about boilers and the price of oil.
He’d often patch things up instead of getting them replaced. He would climb on the roof instead of hiring a roofer. He’d cut grass with a push manual mower instead of a power one. He’d short waitresses by giving ten percent instead of the customary 15%. (That was partially because time had passed him by and he was still tipping according to what this son considered “ancient” standards.)
It was at his funeral that I heard about another side of my dad. His younger brother told me that he was a generous man to everyone and specifically and fondly recalled how my dad helped him with a financial gift so he could go to Florida on a Spring Break.
Funerals are not the best place to find out such things. But they do help open the eyes of some of us with blind spots.
PORTAL TO HEAVEN: Funerals are actually great portals to heaven because there is proof supplied there that may have been taken for granted during the life of the deceased.
There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them.
Luke 7:2-6 NIV
COMMENTS:
Our lives are meant to be lived . We often worry about what others might say or think when we do something they themselves would never consider doing . To be honest I really don't care what people say about me or what I do . I do not do because I want someone to say "isn't she nice or just the opposite , who does she think she is ". Either way someone will always have a comment , again who cares ? I don't ! Some people love to bring others down , you can say that's their job. These are the same individuals who like to see failure in someone . I can not go one always worrying or wondering what someone is saying or thinking about me . I will like to continue to do what my heart says.
Antoinette Renzi, Guilderland, NY
That is a great question Bob-what will be said at my funeral? A question we should all take seriously!
Frank Wray, Delmar, NY