MY EPIPHANY

Yesterday, my significant other and I attended the funeral of a woman we didn't know.  We were there to show support for the deceased's brother and sister-in-law, who are good friends of ours.  Invariably, I come away from funerals sad, but not for the "normal" reasons, and this was no exception.  I learned so much about Bobbie (her name), during the funeral, that I sat there, wishing I had known these things while she was still alive!  What an amazing woman she was!  As the pastor said, "She loved completely, was completely loved and had such a good time."
   Apparently, she resembled the famous chef, Paula Deen, both in looks and personality.  She strongly believed in hugs, laughter and grabbing life by the tail, even when she was battling cancer!  Her sister-in-law told us that there were 4 men in her life that were her everything:  her husband of 41 years, two grown sons and her brother (our friend).  How I would have loved to have known her!  Therein lies my epiphany.
   I knew she had been very ill, and probably wasn't going to live much longer, but I never thought to ask her brother WHAT WAS SHE LIKE!?  We talked about her illness and her valiant battle, but I realized, during the funeral, that there was so much more to her than that!  Therefore, the lesson I learned and the one I hope I can impart to all of you is when you know someone is ill or dying, ask the loved ones of that person to tell you stories about that person.  Allow them to laugh and cry with you when they share anecdotes and memories.  It will not only make them feel good that you're interested, but it will make YOU a richer person for having "known" them.