THE LAST LAUGH

This morning all is quiet around the house. The kids have gone off to school and the husband has left for work, and life is going back to its usual pace after all the summer time activity. The sun is streaming in the window and the steam from my tea cup wafts by me as I type. There is a definite hint of Autumn in the air and the lawn is covered in dew. As I look out my window, I see my chickens scratching around the apple trees, whose branches are loaded with fruit that is just about ready to eat. The sun is glinting off all the dampness on the leaves of plants and trees and it really is just an immensely beautiful and peaceful sight.

These kind of moments always make me appreciate the importance of enjoying the now and realizing that these kinds of mornings are gifts. We never really know when its going to be our last, so taking that time to soak up the moment is worth it.

Yesterday I was visiting with my friend ( whom I call Ernie for the sake of privacy ) and we were talking about life. How quickly it goes, what there is to learn from it, things like that. He was telling me the importance of working hard for what you have and living an honest and true life, so that when the time comes, you can look back and feel good about it. Have no regrets. He told me about how he knew someone in his life that was a very dishonest man and would skim off the top and over charge his customers. Ernie told me how this person became a very rich man, a millionaire, but now he's dead. Long gone. Ernie smiled at this and said, you know, I never told a soul what he was doing, I kept my mouth shut. But for me, I never stole from anyone. I've never cheated anyone, nor ever lied. I may not be a rich man or have much, but I can feel good about who I was, and that I was honest.

I learn so much from Ernie. He has so much to teach me. When you spend time with someone who is nearing the end of their journey, it is a completely different perspective. Every day is a gift for them, as it should be for us. It's so easy to forget when we are caught up in the frenzy of life that if we don't stop and appreciate the beauty around us, or if we don't try to be honest and fair, we may not get a second chance.

When we were in New Brunswick a few weeks ago, we happened upon a very interesting cemetery.

When we were passing this on the road I hollered out for my husband to stop the car. We turned around, and sure enough, there was this cemetery from the 1800's and it was called HA HA Cemetery. Well, we all got a great kick out of that, and I even for a split second thought it was a joke. But it wasn't, and when I read the history I realized the Bay for which the cemetery was named is called Ha Ha Bay. But really, it doesn't take away from the message this cemetery sends. If you don't live your life to the fullest potential, the joke is on you. Death is the big elephant in the room. Something many of us don't think about, or want to think about. In some cultures, death is a celebration, an embarking on to the next journey while others mourn death as final. Whatever anyone's belief, this is our final destination for at least some of our journey. So take heart, live life. Smile and laugh. Be positive, honest and true. We all have worries, struggles and crosses to bare. We have hurts and disappointments, grief and even suffering. But we all have the chance to live our lives to our fullest potential and do the things that give us the most happiness, so that when the time comes, instead of being Ha Ha you're dead....it can be Ha Ha...I loved my life, thanks world for giving me the chance to be a part of it for a little while.