Someday, Maybe

by Kim Brewster

“Death, taxes and childbirth. There’s never any convenient time for any of them.”
--Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind, 1936

In our day and age, childbirth, however, can be scheduled for the convenience of the mom, should she and her physician make that choice. Taxes – well, let’s no even go there.

I recently attended a funeral; something all of us do from time to time. It was for the father of my brother-in-law, an elderly gentleman I had met several times. I never really got to know him that well, mainly because he lived several hundred miles away. By the end of his funeral though, I had a come to know him in a much deeper way and I attribute that to his foresight in leaving his story.

He approached his son-in-law several years ago and asked his assistance in writing his obituary and what he wanted said at his funeral. He was not in ill health or in a hurry; he just wanted to “get it out and have it right.” They met regularly to add or make changes to the story, a story which began in early childhood and was completed a few days before his death. He had even selected the songs he wanted sung and the bible references he wanted recited. He may have even selected the menu of fried chicken and mashed potatoes which was served at the church following the gravesite ceremony.

Maybe this is a subject you would rather not address now. Maybe it’s an idea for the distant future, or never. But if this idea connects with you, the perfect place to have those gentle reminders to keep a record of your life is your Someday/Maybe list. After all, who can tell your story better than you?

As Van Morrison sings in his song, Precious Time, “…precious time is slipping away.”