A few weeks ago I attended a funeral. The decedant had reached the age of eighty-five. His had been an active life, with children, grandchildren, community involvement and business success. Most recently he had suffered from Alzheimer’s, and three weeks before passing away, he had abruptly refused all further food and drink. Health authorities had acquiesced and, in the natural course of events, he passed away. His two sons offered eulogies exhibiting humour and affection. The spirit of the occasion was one of appreciation and satisfaction at a life well-lived, rather than an occasion for wailing and gnashing of teeth. It was just the sort of funeral at which I would like to present my earthly remains.

My Bride and I have passed the four-score bar. We often read the obituaries and marvel at the numbers of our friends and acquaintances that have already passed from the scene. We pinch ourselves to make sure we are still here. So often the hour strikes without warning, so, even though we feel ourselves in the best of good health, we are philosophical about the fact that we ourselves may soon have to take our place in those pages. I have this image in my head of those unfortunate soldiers in World War I who climbed out of those trenches in the face of withering machine-gun fire and almost- certain death. For us the bullets fly thick and fast and we, none of us, know when, and from what source we might be picked off from among the ranks of the living.

Yet, we are of good cheer. Like our friend of recent passing, we can look back on lives of accomplishment, children and grandchildren, companions with whom we have shared good times, and, hopefully, left a legacy of appreciation and good feeling. There may have been things that we did not accomplish, but they were not for want of trying. There may have been gifts that we failed to deliver, but not because we did not hope that they would find their mark. We continue to believe we have something left to share as long as we are here.

We are among the fortunate who have been treated kindly by circumstance. We have been born and raised in a liberal democracy, of modest origins, where effort has abundant chance of being rewarded. We have earned a fair share. We have been granted the opportunity at our age to pivot our attention and means more narrowly on our near and dear in ways we may have not done before. We have surrendered our personal responsibility for the proper administration of our communities, our nation and the world. We have left those things to our companions of wider ambition with more time on their hands to address and accomplish these lofty tasks. We trust we will be judged to have played our proper part in those areas of life during our years of more public responsibility.

My Bride raised five children, not always in the best economic circumstance. She remains deeply loved by all those who shared the spaces of her life which she treasures. The marks of her influence run deep in the lives of those close to her. The jobs that were entrusted to her were done well and with dedication. Her creativity illumines her world. She has one grandson whom she adores.

I was restless and a wanderer, forever seeking a worthy mission, always on to the next task, one which, obviously, could only be done really properly at my expert hand. I witnessed scenes and geographies that were once only tracings in my imagination and in my picture books. I have witnessed glorious expressions of human endeavour and abject misery beyond the limits of my untutored knowledge. These exposures prompted an obsession with questions of right and wrong. I am convinced it is everyone’s personal obligation to advance his circumstance, so he can benefit from a hand up rather than a handout. I was fortunate in experiencing moments of epiphany, and to be responsible for benefits to people whose fate came from time to time to be placed in my hands. Most of them would never know my name. I had that satisfaction of knowing that I had accomplished worthwhile things for others.

Nevertheless, my progeny are my pride and joy, my legacy, knowing in my heart that the credit for their better development lies almost totally on the maternal side. I was often away playing the role of Don Quixote.

Today, we lavish our living moments celebrating our lives, wonderstruck with appreciation that we have been blessed with the privilege of spending our current times in an atmosphere of mutual love. What better crowning glory to a long life well-lived. I try to capture its essence in my words. Inhabiting our Nows, our shared instants in the sun and gentle breezes, the fragrance and sights of flowering nature, the beauty of expanded landscapes over ocean and mountain range, the rich taste of varied foods on the palate, pleasuring in our continuing physical well-being as we stride through our days, treasuring the magic touch of skin on skin, the sublime sense of connectedness with those we love. We experience the daily reminders of our limitations and put them off for another day. There will be time enough for that, if that is what is written in the wind. It may be that in the end we will ride that wind to our favourite corners of the world.

There is still light in the day. Put on some music and we will yet dance a while! Hoorah!

Be sure to sing at our celebration when the time comes.