I'm gonna live till I die
I'm gonna laugh stead of cry
I'm gonna take the town turn it upside down
I'm gonna live, live, live until I die

When Jack’s son was small Jack’s grandmother was a moaner and a complainer. Every holiday she’d say “this could be my last one.” One year Little Fred piped up with “If she lives, she lives. If she dies, she dies.” She lived to be about 97.

Every birthday and holiday Jack’s dad said, “let’s do it again next year.” Until the last month or so we began to think he was going to outlive all of us. He died tonight at 97. My mother died last year on this day about the same time.

I may have already told you that Fred had some advice for his other grandmother. She wasn’t really old at the time, probably in her fifties. But she was a worrier, constantly stewing about something. One day her told her, “Relax Grandma, and enjoy your final days.” Now Jack and I remind ourselves that’s what we need to do - relax and enjoy our final days. I think that’s a very good philosophy, because we just never know. If we live, we live. If we die, we die. And any day could be our final day.

Before my numbers up I'm gonna fill my cup
I'm gonna live, live, live, live until I die

(But I do hope this is the last entry I make about death for awhile.)