Are You Ready for Your Last Day on Earth

We never know when our last day on earth will come. I guess unless you are in a war zone or being treated by Hospice you don't even have a clue. I have witnessed a few folks that must have had a premonition. Take as an example my Mom.

Mom worked her usual "Half Day," 12 hours in our family restaurant, went to a Polka Party, and went home to drop over dead sitting on the potty. Now Mom was never too good about cleaning off her desk. In fact we only presumed there was a desk holding all those papers off the floor. This day she cleaned off her desk and waxed the top. Mom would begin Christmas shopping in January. Most years she wrapped gifts on Christmas eve and forgot to put name tags on the packages. This year the packages were wrapped in October and all all of them had tags on them. I am happy to know Mom died doing the things she loved most working, dancing, and preparing for Christmas.

Dad had other concepts of fun. His last day he prepared a meal for his "Outing Club" buddies, played cards till the wee hours of the morning, went home to drop over in the hallway halfway between his bed and the bathroom. He too went to his better place doing the things he enjoyed, entertaining his friends, winning at Gin Rummy, drinking too much and telling tall tales. Interesting note...Dad's Gin Rummy victim whispered to me at the funeral "If I had known he was gonna die I would have written him a check for my losses." always a joker even in death.,, that was Dad's pals even to this day.

Dad's last story was about three Rabi's making a wake visit. They talked among themselves about what they would like folks to say when they were in the casket. The first said "I want folks to remember my sermons. Perhaps even voice how one of my better efforts changed lives." The second was a bit more folksy "I would want folks to remember my examples of practicing my Faith. Perhaps even remarking "He didn't need a sermon just watch how he lived." The third was a bit of a pixie "When folks visit my casket I want them to look into my face and shout "He's Moving!" That was Dad's sense of humor.