Death sucks...

I know it's part of life but I will never understand it... Guess I need more faith..I certainly don't need more practice!  I sat thinking again last night about the question of being "with it" mentally and failing physically versus "gone" in the thinking dept. and healthy in body. Lee's Uncle Arbie was vary aware of his demise and I don't think I'd care for that too much.  I was also thinking about legacies... What a shitty end to living dying is. Not sure that it's ever a fitting ending for anything... Who made up those rules anyway?  ( OK, that may be part of my problem).  Anyway, it sure gives pause to living your life fully.  If you choose not to have children (which I understand for some) then you better make sure that you've made some kind of contribution to your existence..How horrible it would be to never be remembered.  I don't mean you have to invent something, cure a disease, be president or excell at sports but you can contribute in so many other ways.  They don't have to be flashy or newsworthy, they just need to have made a difference for somebody or something.  Passing on values, sitting on a Board, sharing your opinions, saving a whale, donating your time, making somebody smile....those are things people remember.  I walked around the cemetery on Christmas Eve morning when I was visiting my Dad and for all the people whose names I knew, I remembered something about them or their families. It's easier in a small community where "everybody knows your name!"  We're very fortunate to have that!!  It's important to have a grave marker too... So many people are cremated these days and choose not to be interred in a cemetery.  Genealogy is a growing pastime that unearths (no pun intended) so many interesting and informative tidbits.  I like the commercial on TV for a website that portrays a black man saying he was scared to delve into his ancestors fearing he'd find truths he wasn't prepared for... Instead, he found that his great grandfather was born a slave and died a successful business man! He obviously contributed! So, I guess before it's too late, just give something to remember..Not money... maybe time, maybe jokes, maybe photos, maybe stories, piggy back rides or "Hair duties" (inside joke). Somebody or maybe even many somebodies will remember and that's really important!