CEMETERY VISIT

My brother and I arrived at the Las Vegas Airport and rented a car. By the time we got to the hotel it was 3am Florida time. After a short night, we made the hour and a half drive to Bullhead City, Arizona. Today (Friday), we went to the cemetery where my father is buried. The breeze was blowing but it was still quite warm. The temperature was 110 degrees. It didn’t really feel too hot but our minds were occupied with our visitation. It was a bit of a shock to see my father’s name on the monument… but the reality is what it is. It had been about twenty years since I had been there. It was good to stand next to my father although I know his spirit is no longer there. Perhaps I should say that it was good to stand near the physical remnant of my father. We stayed quite a while before going to get some flowers. We brought the flowers back and stayed awhile longer. My brother and I speculated about how my father would have enjoyed his grandchildren and great grandchild. He would have taken a keen interest in the children and would have gone to great efforts to really get to know them. He would have been one of their greatest cheerleaders and supporters. Although it is speculation, it is based on the kind of man that he was.

It’s good to sometimes retouch our past as its lessons can help us to better thrive in our current circumstances. Even so, it’s important to never get trapped in memory lane or in the past. Life has to be lived today and we can’t spend too much mental energy in the past. If we do, it can become an emotional habit that cripples our functionality. Too many people live in the world of “what if…” rather than “what is.” The past is good to visit and learn from, but it’s not a good place to try to live.