Mary, Be Positive!

"Mary, be positive." This was Jim's text to me after I sent him an adorable photo message of A and his friend holding hands on a play date.  I laughed and then had the sobering thought that I would have to live a very long time to see A holding hands with his bride walking down the aisle. 25 years? Age 97?  Probably not.  And if I am living, could I get to his wedding?  Probably not.  I'm not being negative, just realistic.

Following that interchange, I got the mail and received the information I had requested from Cedar Grove Cemetery at Notre Dame.  When we were in North Carolina, I said I was happy to live there but did not want to be buried there.  I didn't really consider myself a Tarheel!  But I don't think of myself as a Hoosier either.  And we certainly have very few ties to the Hudsonville, Michigan area where we met and where my parents are buried.  No place seems right for our final resting place!

I am getting more comfortable with the idea of cremation.  While walking with a friend at Cedar Grove Cemetery, I noticed that Catholics accept cremation but only if the remains are kept in one place--not scattered somewhere with an implied denial of the resurrection of the body.   Could this be an option for Jim and me?  No matter where we are when we die, it would be easy enough to ship the remains here and have a place for them.  At least there would be a place that could be photographed even if no one would be here to visit it.  There may even be a virtual reality tour.

And then to add to these reminders of mortality today, St. John's Abbey sent their Holy Week greetings including a Youtube video "I Can Only Imagine"--supposedly the best-selling Christian single every written.  I had never heard of it before but I listened and in some way, it gave my cynical self a glimpse of future glory.

We have a friend who has just asked Hospice to help him be more comfortable.  We have another friend who has begun receiving chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer.  We have lost a young friend to a heart attack this year.  Another friend is recovering from the effects of a serious stroke.  Jim's brother Hank is gone.  We are not young even if we feel strong and sometimes even youthful!  So it may be good to think on these things.  We will take a walk at Cedar Grove together soon and then decide if that is right for us.