We'll Miss You, Old Friend

It's always nice to see old friends, even if it happens to be at a funeral. I had to drive back to Bristol Wednesday to attend a funeral, and while funerals are not usually uplifting, this one was an exception. The service, while mostly solemn and respectful, took a few turns toward light-hearted humor, something that I think everyone there appreciated. I know that Larry would have enjoyed it. I imagine that he was watching...from a different dimension. As the minister said, Larry loved to laugh and was always ready with a good joke. He would have been so proud to see the overflowing church and to know that so many old friends drove a long way to pay their respects. He would have preferred to be in the middle our group of friends/classmates after the service, when we were hugging and reminiscing and enjoying our brief time together. But not if he had to be there in the pained and ravaged condition that he had come to know. I think he was ready to leave that behind. The minister talked a lot about Larry's extensive library of books on the civil war. He had apparently become quite the historian. Maybe he'll run into some of the old generals in his new surroundings and he can pick their brains. I'm sure he'll have a few jokes for them, too. Some things never change.