"I am about to -- or I am going to -- die; either expression is used." ~ Last words of Dominique Bouhours, French grammarian

You start your day in your way and I start my day in my way. Sounds like a deal to me. What say you? It is Thursday, December 19, 2013. No. We didn't do anything out of the ordinary to recognize our 49th anniversary but we made an agreement to do so later. Just too much going on, if you know what I mean. By now everyone who reads my daily postings are aware that I am an obituary reader. That's one of the things I do to start my day and I've been doing it for as many years as I can remember. In doing so I am impressed with the contributions made by so many of my fellow travelers along life's way. At the same time, I will tell you that I grieve over those who leave at such a young age. There's really no way to make sense out of these early departures, as we see them. Here's a little poem from one I read this week in the write up of a 27 year old Louisiana boy. The author is unknown:

~ I Am Free

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free I am following the path God laid for me. I took His hand when I heard Him call,

I turned my back and left it all. I could not stay another day to laugh, to love, to work or play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way. I found that peace at the close of the day. If my parting has left a void, Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss Ah, these things I, too, will miss. Be not burdened with time of sorrow,

I wish for you the sunshine of tomorrow. My life's been full, I savored much. Good friends, good times, a loved one touched.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief Don't lengthen it now with undue grief. Lift up your heart and share with me.

God wanted me now; He set me free. ~

I know there's plenty of folks who consider this to be just too morbid to even think about. To me, it's about life and the reality of the coming time when each and everyone of us will have to say our final goodbye. It also helps to remind me of the brevity and uncertainty of this life. A friend recently posted on Facebook the two most common expressions made by dying people as reported by Hospice workers. The first was: I wish I hadn't worked so hard, and the second was: I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. While those reflect a sobering commentary on how we can over emphasize some areas in life while missing out on the most important ones, I would like to think you can do your best, with God's help, to honor them all. God. Hard work. Family. Friends. Service. But, that's just my take on it, subject to be updated of course when it comes time for me to leave my final comments. Or something like that.

This doesn't exactly put you in the Christmas spirit? Don't know why. Think about it. That's the subject of the ever popular Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol'. The story of Scrooge and his life nearly wasted but redeemed after contemplating the evil of his ways. Or, the always and forever wonderful, 'It's a Wonderful Life', with Jimmy Stewart. It's about a fellow who learned what life would have been like had he not been born and how that his good returned to him as his family, friends, and neighbors came to his rescue in the end. What's the common thread? Contemplation: It matters what you do in life and how you treat others. It matters. That's a Biblical concept as well, the Golden Rule: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12) Christmas is about giving from the heart and doing so will help to prepare us all for the holidays. That's about it for today. Take a moment to enjoy a smoking hot cup of Community and Lord willing I will catch up with you again tomorrow. May God bless. Amen.   ...More later.