I attended a funeral today for a 19 year old man I didn’t know. To represent for Trece & her family. Mikey died in a car crash after the fireworks on July 4th. Trece’s nephew, Stephen, was in the car too. After 9 nine hours of surgery, he’s recovering nicely.
Pride. Honor. Respect. Ritual. Ceremony. Mournful sounds of the bagpipes. Sailors in dress uniform. Lots of funny memories shared. And then, at last, a song I knew. “Glory, glory hallelujah”…except it came out “teacher hit me with a ruler”. Oh, no! I felt Mikey laughing.
On our way to the funeral, we stopped at a traffic light. The sun roof was open. Suddenly, the smell of rotting garbage filled the car. In England, we called them Dustbin Men. Thank you, Mr. Dustbin Man for being willing to take away our trash and endure that dreadful smell.
Lee died yesterday. Trece’s mum, Peggy, called to let Trece know. Peggy was upset with people from Lee’s job for stepping in too late with offers to help. “Where were they before she died?”
Michael Jackson died this week too. Sometimes, it takes someone disappearing unexpectedly for us to realize how much we love them and what a gift they are to us.
Grab hold and celebrate life today!
Cheryl Ragsdale
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Cheryl:
Thank you for supporting Trece and honoring Mikey’s short life.
“It doesn’t matter how long you live your life, all that matters is that you live it. Feel every emotion and express yourself until you can’t go on. Then die fighting for everything you believe in”.
You see the day he died was a day he laughed and razzed his friends and family. It also was the day he was returning for another two years of duty.
Nineteen short years and he was quite accomplished, loving, compassionate, loyal and self-expressed. Mikey is undoubtedly an angel watching over our service men and women and all of us who needed a reminded of how precious life is.
You thanked the Dustbin Men. I thank you for helping us dispose of our trash. Love, Bunkey