“Remember the first 3 letters in Funeral”

I’m sure someone else said it first.  But today I heard it for the first time.  I will always remember where I heard it and the circumstances.  A place, with circumstances that I have visited just a little too often lately.

As Father prepared to read the Gospel  a custom, ritual or action we as Catholics do; the tiny cross on your forehead, on your mouth and on your heart.  “May God be in my thoughts, in my words and in my heart”.  Simple, anyone, of any denomination can do this.  To just, as whatever God means to you, think the thoughts, say the words and feel it or act from a place of the heart.  The world will be a better place.

Within 2 min of Father’s Homily there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.  Including, yours truly.  The message shared was one of last words from our friend Paul.  The message was/is the same message I share often.  Somehow hearing it from someone as words “from the other side” they have such an impact.

“Follow your dream”, “make/take time for the most important things in life….friends, family, community” and “don’t get distracted”.

Now I don’t know the reasons why eyes were being dabbed or noses wiped.  I don’t know everyone’s reason for REALLY feeling his words hurt so much.  I can share what I “see”.  From the top of the stairs as I do my early morning workout, I see streams of red lights heading to jobs.  People commuting for hours upon hours, often out the door by 6am.  I “see” little ones being ushered off to day care at 7am.  I “see” families living more and more in empty streeted suburbs.   Even in the evenings there is rushing around here and there, evening warriors.  Over worked, over scheduled over stressed families.  So these tears, they could have been perhaps for themselves in realizing their dash is being filled with tons of dashing.  My tears were for them as well.

The second part of his message, distraction.  The dictionary defines distraction as the lack of ability to pay attention.  What is interesting is that as I take my thoughts of distraction to “symptoms of distraction” I see there is a connection to depression and the ability to concentrate, focus and level of distraction.  All of this which then takes us back to goals, plans and commitments we make in our lives.  I’m sure working more, driving further and watching tv are not among them.

Set goals focused around family, friends, community…………make that dash count!