Always Go to the Funeral

 While skimming across the titles of the This I Believe essays, the titke Always go to the Funeral by Deirdre Sullivan caught my eye.  I have lost many loved ones and friends in my 38 years of life.  I have lost Grandparents, Great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, young and old.  I work at a military veterans home and see our heros die on a regular basis.  My first experiance at a funeral was at the age of 10 and my family ask me to sing at my great grandma Kitty's funeral.  At 10 years old that is a hard thing to do.  I told  my dad I was scared and didn't want to do it.  He looked at me and told me that Grandma Kitty had wanted me to so, I should because it is the last thing I can do for her.  My dad's words gave me a whole new perspective on funerals and singing and carring for the elderly.  What an honor it is for me to be able to do something for them after they are gone.  I have sang at many funerals, showing my last respects and fulfilling the wishes of the family member or the friend laying cold.  I have packed up many rooms for my veterans and their families after they are gone.  These are the little things that I can do to show my respects even when my heart is breaking or I don't want to. I agree that there are many things in life that we have to choose to do when our heart is breaking or we don't want to.  The writer says to do the right thing when you really really don't want to.  I try to live with respect of others and do good instead of doing nothing.  I am a doer!  This essay challaged me to look for more oppertunities to do.  I never want to be the one doing nothing.