i HATE funerals

Wherein we have another installment of I Hate Monday. Today the spotlight shines on those saddest of all occasions, funerals. This topic weighs heavily on my mind today: the friend I wrote about (in “Quitting: Reason No. 73,” below) died earlier today. My friend Kelly is at least now free from the pain and torture that years of cancer and cancer treatment inflicted upon her. She wanted to live long enough to see her first grandchild born, and got that wish and a second one to boot. Along the way she has been in lots of pain and misery, but never so much (at least when I saw her, as recently as a week or so ago), that she didn’t wear her unforgettable smile. My favorite Kelly story happened a few years ago when in a large gathering of friends I happened to be looking at her from a little ways off. She was talking and smiling as one of her small children opened a can of Coke that sprayed all over her face and hair. She winced as a natural reflex, but never stopped smiling. I know parents who would have wailed on their child for that accidental event, but Kelly’s smile never faltered, not for one second. That’s the kind of truly sweet and kind person she was. She will be missed. Yes, I hate funerals. The best I can say in this case is that this one, although it marks a life cut far too short, will mark a life that was exceptionally well spent. Sleep well.