Week 20 – Lilly’s Rosary

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Last evening Janet & I attended a Catholic Funeral Vigil for our friend Lilly. For those of you unfamiliar with Catholic traditions, this is a prayer service for someone recently deceased and usually includes praying the Rosary. I had never been to any Catholic services before I started dating Janet (boy THAT sure goes back a long ways….), but when you marry a Catholic, you marry their Family AND their traditions as well. It has turned out to be good for me.

The last couple of weeks in our MKMMA journey we have been reading obituaries, thinking of our own impact on the world and most recently, getting into our little brains some idea of the short TimeLinetime we have left to get the important things done in our life. Dr. J. has asked us to write out a card showing a timeline of our life with the current position indicated to help us visualize where we are at in this incredible journey called Life. Being an Engineer I just had to use a ruler. Of course, the endpoint I chose (95 years) is debatable.

So how should I feel about the fact that I am over half way to the end? Two thoughts come to mind:

1.  I can be like the brat at the arcade when mom says they are leaving in 10 minutes and the child throws a fit.

2.  I can be like the child at the arcade when mom says they are leaving in 10 minutes and the child makes a beeline to the favorite arcade game to wring the most joy out of the remaining time.

I don’t want to be remembered as a brat.

Lilly was 91. A smiling short Italian lady, usually meeting us at the door, waving us in, pushing food in front of us. The kind of person everyone should be blessed to know. Funny how an elderly person can seem so content, but yet be worried about everyone else’s well being at the same time. She managed to wring value from every day.Compass01

I wonder if she is content with her timeline? I wonder if she would be content with mine and how I have lived? My plan is to be sure that friends like Lilly are proud of how I live my life.

The compass, remember the compass………  (and as I said before, my watch doesn’t have a battery in it)

11 thoughts on “Week 20 – Lilly’s Rosary”

  2. dbernstrom

    Yes the Lillys’ of life are a priceless Blessing. Love using the ruler on the timeline… The ruler reminds me of guiding. When someone I was looking after asked me “how far to the top of the mountain?” I would always say, ahh just a few hundred yards to keep them moving… One time after several hundred yards a guy asked me if I was using a rubber ruler.

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  3. 52grossmasterkey

    I am sure Lilly would be very proud of the way you are living your life as actions speak louder than words. However, I believe you need to be content with yourself.

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  4. masterkeymartin

    Rex, I’m an accountant, and obviously I used a ruler, and calculated exactly what % I have lived, based on my estimated date of death. Pretty sobering to say the least. Thanks for your perspective, I’m going to get my “wringer” out.

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  5. barbarawestfall

    What a great post. It is great to know the elderly and observe their way of being……how serene they are. Lilly sounded so sweet. No wonder the Indigenous respected their Elders……..they have the vision and experience that the young do not have yet. Sending loving thoughts to you all in this time.

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