Ed delivered the eulogy. His bright blue eyes peered at the mourners over his reading glasses.
"Everyone here today is asking themselves, 'Why?'
"When I was in college, I had a professor that challenged us to take a glass and fill it with water. Try to hold that glass straight out in front of you for twenty minutes. It's hard, isn't it? Try holding it in front of you for an hour. For a day. It gets harder and harder, and sometimes, it's just impossible to hold it there.
"Now, take that same glass of water and hold it out in front of you for five minutes. When it gets too heavy, put it down. Rest for awhile, then pick it back up. You can hold the glass of water again for five minutes. It's too heavy? Put it down again. You'll find that you can hold that glass of water out in front of you for as long as you want, as long as you put it down when you get too tired. You'll always be able to pick it back up and hold it again.
"It's the same with problems that life hands to you. Don't carry those problems with you all the time. Just put them down when you can't hold them anymore. Pick them up again when you can.
"There isn't a person here today who isn't asking themselves 'why?'. There isn't anyone here who could have said something, done anything, to stop what Brad did Monday morning. But I can tell you, here today, if it gets so bad, if it gets so hard, just put it down the glass for awhile. Pick it up again after you feel strong enough to do so.
"For us who are left behind, you know that life has great sorrows.
"I'll remind you, though, that life also holds great happiness. Do not lose sight of that."
He sighed deeply and said:
"Happiness and good things... well, folks, they just have a way of dropping out of the sky."
3 comments:
That last is a rather remarkable thing to say, isn't it? I've never heard anyone say that before. I don't know whether I believe him or not.
Sometimes it just hits me from the side how sad this is. And there are so many different ways it's sad that there will always be more, not yet realized, waiting for a stray thought to thread themselves onto.
Although you were quoting someone, you have such a delicious delivery. I adore the way you put words together to make up a post. Beautiful sentiment and a comforting reminder.
xoxo
g
Bone! So sorry about the sadness of Brad's death and the day of his funeral. I feel for how much time you've had to spend lately taking care of other peoples' needs, needs that aren't quick and easily handled like "Can you feed my cat this weekend?" or "May I have a ride to the store?" but instead support for Brad's family and friends and making huge decisions for Mom, putting them in place. You've had to miss so much work! You are wonderful and I'm proud you're my sister!
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