Playing for Time

I spent several hours in my car today.  I spent most of the remainder at a funeral.  It’s complicated.  My sister married a great guy.  My brother married a great girl.  The great guy and great girl are brother and sister.  So there are a number of double cousins in the family.  That’s where it starts to get complicated … and doesn’t stop.  Don’t ask.  The father of the brother-and-sister-by-marriage passed away this week.  I went to his funeral mass today, and his graveside service, complete with very moving Navy Military Rites.  And I hung out during a beautiful lunch with people I love and am almost related to.  And some that I’m very related to.  It was a sweet day and a sobering one.  I think one of the things that keeps us from becoming officially “old” is that if we keep our eyes and ears and hearts open, there’s always something to learn in this life.  And the first lesson to learn is that we will never know it all.  And that everybody — everybody — has a story.  And that every one of those stories is worth hearing.  And that whatever we may think we know about any given person, there’s always much more we do not know.  And that everyone in this life is or has been loved uniquely … and appreciated.  Sometimes the appreciation from assorted and sundry others comes late … but it’s no less real.  Today was a pilgrimage of sorts … a memorable one.