Circle of Life

Two days ago we attended the funeral of our friends' father. "Cotton" was an elderly gentleman in bad health. To be honest, at the age of 86, his quality of life was deteriorating over the last several years. God finally decided to call him home. This morning, ironically, I received a phone call from my brother and sister-in-law in California. Her mother is 91 and is longing to the end of her life. Then, to add to these situations, our long-time neighbors called to say his dad, age 87, has been diagnosed with bone cancer and has little time to live.
Larry and I are at that age, I guess, where we dress in suits and ties for more funerals than weddings. It's a natural progression in life...the young outliving the old. Bearing witness to the death of our parents isn't easy. You begin to look at your own family--kids and grand-kids in a different light. We, too, are in the process of aging and arriving at the point in time where our kids will be the witnesses to the circle of life.

All we can do is live life large... and well.

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done

In the circle of life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap of faith
It's the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life
---Elton John