Accepting that one day you’ll be gone, can be liberating.
Speakers of the French language use the verb rencontrer to refer to a situation where you run into someone by accident or chance. Well, in my case that “someone” was my funeral song. I was watching TV and there was a scene where a group of individuals sat by the fire and sang to say goodbye to a friend who had recently died and was very dear to them all. The minute they started singing, I knew in my heart that was the song that I wanted to be played during my wake.
Right now you must be thinking, “Dude, that it’s so creepy.” And you’re right. Accepting our mortality and planning around it, is still a work in progress for those of us raised in the Western culture. Something as simple and realistic as setting money aside for future funerary expenses is frowned upon by some friends and family who see it as the equivalent of extending an invitation to the Grim Reaper to come knocking on the door. To rush death, if you will.
As I watched the scenes on the TV unfold, the hauntingly beautiful melody of my funeral song permeated every fiber of my being and I felt a wave of peace washing over me. It all felt so natural as if I had been waiting my whole life for this moment. Maybe the peaceful sensation I experienced was the fear of dying leaving my body. Who knows.
The song that became my funeral song wasn’t new to me. I’d heard it a million times before, but this time it was different. It was a song of remembrance. Grieving men and women were singing it to help pack their dead friend’s suitcase with beautiful memories that he would cherish for all eternity.
May you one day find, or be found by your funeral song.☼
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Alex Guerrero is a content creator who lives in Lawrence, KS. He’s very vocal in his displeasure over pineapple pizza. Chocolate, on the other hand, makes everything better!
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