I learned a new term yesterday...Irish wake. Have I been living under a rock, or are others new to this concept (which by the way is a fabulous idea) as well?
I don't mean to sound morose...on the contrary, I think this idea of celebrating someone's life in a more festive atmosphere sounds a lot more comforting than munching on finger sandwiches in a cold gathering space.
I attended a funeral yesterday of a friend's mom. The priest who eulogized her mentioned that she had made a decision upon her diagnosis of cancer 14 years earlier to live before she died rather than die before she had lived. She made that decision the day of her diagnosis and stuck to it despite recurrences of cancer throughout the years.
Now, this may be something frequently stated at funerals--I fortunately haven't been to enough to know--but it stuck with me. "Live before I die versus die before I have lived." Have I lived? Really lived? I like to think so, but as I mentioned in my last post, I frequently get bogged down in the details of daily living so much so that I forget to step back and really soak in the most important things in life (like my family).
In an appropriate gesture to her desire for fun surrounded by her friends and family, my friend's mom's funeral was followed by an Irish Wake. I think there' s a real message there...even in her death, she wanted people to live a little. And I see absolutely nothing wrong with that.
LeChaim,
Jacquie
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LeChaim means "to life" for those wondering...and the only reason I know this is that I was in the chorus of "Fiddler on the Roof" in eighth grade...
This blog entry definitely hit home with me. Since this Irish Wake was for my mom's best friend it was very personal. I was also very touched by the sermon given at Mary Ann's funeral. I thought Fr. Belzak did a really good job of talking about Mary Ann's life and paying tribute to her. I think it is so easy to forget to enjoy life now before we die. I know I really struggle with looking at life as a ongoing adventure and privilige. Why does it take a tragedy to inspire us or touch us deeply? Why do we only appreciate health once it is gone or fading? I recently broke my foot and have been on crutches, a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of life. But I realize now how hard it must be for the handicapped, for those who struggle to get around in every day life. Again, we take for granted the simplest of life's gifts. I have thought often about the message of an Irish Wake since going to Mary Ann's celebration. Live life before you die and then celebrate the life once it has departed this world. I will try to remember this message and live life more fully on a daily basis.
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