Day 343 No Erasers

November 17, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

I love to take time over dinner and sit with friends for hours talking at the kitchen table. Tonight we shared dinner with our friend Kevin, reminisced about his late wife Regina, talked about the service for his wife this Friday, and philosophized about life.

“Regina was doing all her crossword puzzles with a pen. No erasers for her,” remarked Kevin. The three of us agreed we needed pencils with good erasers for our crossword puzzles. 

Since November 10, Kevin has been going through what will be a long transition after the loss of his life’s great love. We all agreed that those who have passed from our lives really do not disappear. David commented, “They leave ripples in their wake.” The service on Friday will be short and the repast party will be longer. Of course, we all mourn Regina’s passing but Friday will be a celebration of the life she lived.

We talked about when the four of us met. Kevin spoke about the process of being open to possibilities and we considered the ramifications of what ifs in life. “Life is an endless succession of what ifs,” David mused, and then added, “with a corollary of what the fucks.” My husband sometimes surprises me with philosophical comments and then does not disappoint when he adds a profane postscript.

Just before Kevin left, David played an original song by his late friend, Rick Patt, I Could Live Forever who recorded his song, knowing his cancer would bring death soon—and it did two weeks later. Like Regina, he also leaves ripples.

My gift today is ripples.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~­  

> Day 344 Small and Mighty

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html