Passing the Time

We spent the weekend in Salt Lake. It is spring there, at least compared to the six inches of snow on the ground up here. There is sunshine and grass there. Yellow, dead-looking grass, it is true, but grass nonetheless. It was very refreshing to have a break from mucky inversion skies and icy driveways. But when we got home, things up here were kind of melty and drippy, so maybe there is hope.

We went to my uncle's funeral. He died last Saturday. Every time we have a family funeral, which fortunately has not been very often, the funeral director at some point compliments us on what a cohesive and supportive family we have. That is always a nice thing to hear, and it makes me really appreciate that I do come from mostly normal stock, but it also makes me wonder what kind of stories a funeral director could tell about the really whacked-out families he must have to deal with from time to time.

If anybody had a right to be a little whacked-out, it would be my two cousins, who have been dealing with a really hard situation with their dad for many many years. Then they suddenly and unexpectedly had to deal with his death and planning his funeral, and they were amazing. They got everything in place, they both spoke at the funeral, and they gave their dad a great send off. I think seeing both of them in action made me realize that the torch is slowly being passed. Their dad was the first of our parents generation to pass on. Pretty soon, my parents and aunts and uncles are going to be the old ones, and my cousins and me will be THAT generation, the one in charge of everything that holds the family together, like funerals and weddings and reunions and pie parties. Up to this point, we have all pretty much just shown up for those events, and someday soon, it is going to be all on our shoulders. That's not a bad thing, but it does make me feel old. Well, not so much old as just grown up, which is something I have tried really hard to avoid.

The other thing that makes me feel old is being painfully reminded that this year is 25 years since I graduated from high school. That doesn't even seem possible. That is a quarter-century! Is time gaining momentum on me?