A LESSON LEARNED

As people age and grow, they are suppose to learn from their mistakes. Maybe as we become seniors, we are a little slower to learn than in our youth.

Today I learned a lesson which I will remember – and not repeat, hopefully.

I may have a different perspective on “friendship” than others, but when someone I know dies, it saddens me for the loss. Death is inevitable in this life on earth, but I always FEEL for the family of the deceased. The family goes through a grieving process for the loss of their loved one.

If I know a person for many years, know the person's son (let's say), have been to their home, but we don't talk or see each other often, by some standards that person would be in the “acquaintance” column, instead of the friend column. Whatever.

But today I learned not to mention the recent death of a friend or acquaintance to one of my friends. The brick had to hit me twice, but I am now getting smarter.

The “he's no one special” type comments, or the “he was horrible” response was distasteful to me. I have no prejudices and I do not judge others, especially if they have never hurt me, or they have always been nice to me.

Death is final and it is up to God to make the final judgment as to the deceased's entry into Heaven. No one is perfect in this life, and whatever transgressions or good the person did in life, they will meet their Maker in the end. Whatever transgression might have taken place in a life, it is not to be judged by us. I might have an opinion of said person's transgression, if I knew about it, was personally affected, targeted, or hurt by the act.

But death is sad and my heart goes out to the family of the deceased friend or acquaintance, for no matter what, they lost a loved one to the final step on this earth.