Keep Smiling!

Just got home from a funeral of my cousin...I guess he would be my second cousin, through marriage, on my moms side, twice removed... Delmont or Dowayne Jessop.  I was trying to explain to KC how we are related, but  then realized he isn't the one we are related to, it's his wife Valaine.  They always just seemed like a package deal..Valaine and Delmont. Valaine has been gone for a while now.  In fact, as we looked around at the people at the funeral, it was mostly their children and grand children.  Most all of the old relatives we grew up with from that side of the family are gone now.
They were such nice people...always had a smile and a kind word.  I remember them mostly from the Yost family reunions... they were really the ones that made them happen. They'd send out invitations to all the families and reserve a big place at the park.   Everyone would bring their own picnic, and something potluck to share with the others.  Then after we ate, they would have tons of genealogy there for the older folks to mull over and exchange notes on, family history trivia games, raffle drawings and games for the little ones.  They really went all out to make them special.   Then as they got older, their kids took over the organizing.  A few years ago, they had a real doozer of a family reunion down at Zollinger park.  They really pulled out all the stops.  I guess they wanted to go out with a bang, cause that was the last one that was had.

Anyway, Delmont lived to be 93 wonderful years of age, so I didn't think it would be real sad occasion.  We walked in and saw everyone wearing happy face buttons and that was confirmed.  (He always said "Keep Smiling"  so they used happy faces everywhere!  Thats not something you see at a lot of funerals!) It was instead a celebration of a life well lived. 
He loved scouting so they had all the talks based around the scout motto, theme,  and the virtues of scouting.  Oh wow, when they told about all the things he did, all the civic and church organizations he was involved in,( was the longest running boy scout...ever) the missionary work, temple work, geneology work the service he gave to family and neighbors and complete strangers, plus all the things he accomplished, it was pretty impressive!
It always makes me re evaluate my life when I hear an eulogy like that.  What would people remember me for?    Don't think they'd have too much to say about me...I better do some stuff!