Yesterday, on a gorgeous autumn day, my dear, sweet, funny mother-in-law was laid to rest.  It was a fitting farewell and also a homecoming here, in that she returned to her hometown.  There she joined her deceased family members at her final resting place in the city where she grew up.  The mass service and the luncheon after was attended by family members and friends. There, they shared memories and stories of their collective lives together.

On such occasions, I am reminded of my own passing in the near or far future.  I ponder what mine will be like. I hope to be remembered, as she was, for the positive ways I was able to affect the lives of others.  I hope to be remembered for the good humor I was able to provide for my dear ones along the way. To be missed for the words and actions of one’s life is to have fulfilled the reason for which we are born.  That is, in my opinion, to share our love and be there for others. That is my sincere desire. I want to be remembered in this way, as she was.

She believed in God and lived the life of a servant to the people she encountered.  Isn’t that the very best reason to be missed? She worked hard, loved deeply and made us laugh.  These three things sustained her and her family through many a difficult and challenging time. People could count on her to say what she meant to say, mean what she said and do what she said she was going to do.  She lived well, and died well, surrounded by her family in those last days. It was a good and peaceful death.

We should want to be remembered for these things.  It matters how we treat our fellow travelers in this life.  As people, we live on this earth together. Living a good life is not easy.  My mother-in-law knew this. And the way we live matters. If we do it to the best of our ability, as she did, then we will have fulfilled our purpose.  And then, we can look forward to the true eternal rest in heaven, the final homecoming.