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Thursday, October 8, 2015

I MISSED ANOTHER FUNERAL


I MISSED ANOTHER FUNERAL

I missed another funeral the other day.  I am not very good about funerals.  I know they are important; I just am not very good about them.  I blame my mom; she was not one for taking children to funerals.  I never even went to any of my grandparents or aunts or uncles funerals. 

In lieu of attending, I am submitting this post.

I lost a friend several weeks ago.  He was a friend who I barely knew, but he was a friend…a good friend.  I mostly knew him through fraternity/ fishing buddy, Frog.  He was a friend of Frogs for years and I knew him through Frog’s many stories of his friend, Al Guy.

A few of you may recognize the name from my “Fishing with Frog” posts.  Al was our cabin on a lake benefactor.  He often joined our group and fished with us.  It seemed we never knew if and when he would join us, and if we were told it would not have mattered, Al had his own version of time. 
L to R Catfish, Al, Buddy, Frog




Al was a free spirit.  He was an avid outdoorsman who treated the outdoors like the precious resource that it is.  Al was a talented artist.  He had an artist’s eye.  He saw things others did not see.  He felt things that others felt but could only be expressed through art.  The best description I can give of Al is he was a true gentle soul.  He was a little different in that artist way, but when you were in his presence there was always a calm happy aura about the room.

I speak of Al like I knew him well.  Truth is I only met him three or four times.  We only shared a meal a few times.  We fished together and talked about life maybe twice.  We were very different people, but we had several things in common, and I did feel a certain bond.

Al was a young man.  He appeared to be in excellent health.  He cared so much for nature and people.  I believe his heart gave out.  I think it was just not big enough for everything he put in it.

Sorry I didn't make it to your funeral Al.  I wished I had a chance to know you better.

You are missed.

16 comments:

  1. That's a fitting eulogy right there.

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  2. Good for you to speak about it. Funeral, is an event, I too not good at.
    We just sat there and think a lot and mainly WHY???
    Have a good day.
    Rahim maarof

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  3. Nicely written. You might not have met Al many times but he made an impression. Not everyone can do that. Rest in peace, Al.

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  4. Some people touch our lives more than they know, or us either, until we think about it.

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  5. I think you did a great job saying goodbye Joe. Yes you did.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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  6. I'm never too sure who funerals really are for; certainly not for those that have parted. I think you honored Al here with the kind words you mentioned about him.

    betty

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  7. A really wonderful tribute. Means more than attending a funeral. Neither Jim nor I want a funeral and our son is on board.

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  8. Sorry for your loss. I think you knew him better than you realize!!

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  9. What a nice tribute and I hope his family reads it. You may not have had a lot of contact with him but I think you saw him and got him.
    Sorry for your loss and his family's. He sounded like a really neat person.

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  10. I hope you write something this nice about me if my heart gives out. Seriously, a poignant post about your friend.

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  11. My daughter has informed me that anyone i ever go fishing with, i am required to attend his/her funeral. You get a pass, though.

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  12. I don't like funerals either. Right before my MIL's funeral, my son started projectile puking. We both missed the funeral.

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  13. Don't feel bad. Funerals are a ceremony for the ones left behind, not the ones who passed away.

    I missed my own father's funeral.

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  14. Funerals are for letting go. Then you can remember the good times.

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