Funeral homily for John E Singler
Monday, March 25, 2019
INTRO: Who out there has a BUCKET LIST??
People come up with all kinds of dangerous or exciting things to do and see before they die. I think that could be fun. I’ve never really done one…. so…….I guess I’m a bit boring and unadventurous.
Emily, my niece, on her bucket list she wants to make sure she takes Italian cooking classes, but, of course…she wants to do it ….in Italy!! And the other caveat is…… it has to be with a husband!!!
My aunt, dad’s sister, she has things that she won’t do on her bucket list, like jumping out of an airplane.
Anyway…in 2007… Jack Nicholson and Hickey Freeman…. Wait a minute not HICKEY FREEMAN…Morgan Freeman…leave it to me to know a clothes designer before knowing a movie star!!!
These two television actors ended up in an ER room next to each other, meeting each other for the very first time, discussing what they’ve done with their lives and what they haven’t done…
……and they created A BUCKET LIST OF exciting things to do together before that fateful day of their death and NEW LIFE!!!
Dad had a Bucket List, though UNTITLED…
On his list:
• HE WANTED TO ALWAYS BE Catholic
• He wanted to marry and have children
• He wanted to be a “snappy” dresser
• He wanted to provide a good life for his family and himself
• He wanted to kind to all people
• He wanted to golf
And
• He wanted to entertain friends, socialize with them from his church or golf club.
He did IT!
Now, in his years at ENNIS COURT for his Alzheimer’s he likewise began A NEW BUCKET LIST for the adventure of Alzheimer’s that he was on!
You see, Ennis Court would provide him a daily activity sheet in his room, on his own bulletin board within his room. His daily BUCKET LIST of adventurous things to do.
Mind you, he received his own schedule inside his own room because ….and with the sad forgetfulness of the disease….. He would walk out of his room so many times BEFORE ANY ONE EVENT to see the MAIN BOARD where the list was for all the residents.
He wanted to ALWAYS be on time for each activity.
Therefore the staff…….
To save his steps…..
They provided his own daily schedule or bucket list in his room.
ENNIS COURT treated him royally!
So, obedient to the day’s activities he would
In his room and on his sheet
CHECK OFF with a Red pen…. Not a blue one, nor green one but a red magic marker THIN POINT ONLY.
He was very specific on this red marker to check off the day’s activities of his personal bucket list of Ennis Court.
He was proud to have met all these activities….each day.
I would visit….in fact if any of us would visit…. he would make sure to walk over to his bulletin board, showing us and using his finger… point to each bucket list activity… Making a CHECK MARK with his finger…..And say
DID THAT
DID THAT
DID THAT
DID THAT
And when he would get to the end of the list
A HUGE CHECK MARK up the whole page and say:
Did it all!
Then he would look at me or any one of us visitors for our approval!!! Then he would sit down for our visit.
Did it all!
Jesus had a bucket list too…. and…
His bucket list ended with the words:
IT IS FINISHED!
Or
Did it all!
Jesus’s bucket list was to make sure that he taught you and me
To Love our neighbor as we love ourselves…
To respect human life….
To be kind and charitable…
To wish someone a better day
To show mercy before the judgement of people’s……..
He did it all and it is up to us to live that example each day!
OUR OWN personal bucket list of being like JESUS CHRIST!
Even as a young child … I have enjoyed walking …. taking a walk!!!
We walked to school in Lakewood and back home … 1 mile and 2 tenths each way!! Early in the AM and then again early in the afternoon.
On these walks, the two brothers and 1 sister:
We talked
Some days we laughed
Every day:
We encountered
Window shopping from the windows of a
Hardware store, a bakery, and a grocery store
We encountered 2 Lakewood BARS!!!! We were instructed to walk by real fast and DO NOT LOOK into it!!!
We encountered one Protestant Church, too!!!
We encountered the wonderful MADISON AVENUE PARK where we swam and played as good children love to do!!!!
But, I liked walking…. And ….. Making the destination!
Even up until today….. Walking around my parish grounds
Or up the aisle of church to celebrate Mass
Or walking to the pulpit!!!
What a good walk does for the Heart, for the Spirit, or for the Mind …… going from one place to the next and
MEETING ONE’S DESTINATION!
Yes, the destination!!!
After Jesus “DID IT ALL!!! Dying on the cross and rising from the dead, all of us know that two of Jesus’ disciples made their destination as they walked 7 miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus and what marvelous things they encountered on the way!
All of us gathered here today love JESUS and His ways of living and we all try to imitate Him and His ways with our own personal bucket list of living charitably.
We have all been affected by Christ, the Son of God and try in His imitation to living good lives.
CONCLUSION
Dad’s mom and dad, for their living room and to influence their family, bought a framed PICTURE for above their living room couch… IT WAS the familiar picture of JESUS meeting the two disciples on the road to EMMAUS.
That framed picture was the focal point of my father’s room at ENNIS COURT and likewise hung above his dying death bed to influence US to always walk with JESUS CHRIST each and every day….. As HE will lead us to the CORRECT DESTINATION.
Many blessings to you all!
Walk with our Lord each and every day!