Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile

You just never know what life will deliver to your doorstep, do you?

Apart from sunshine and the annual art on the street event, there were two happy deaths that impacted my life this past weekend. I was asked to help out with the funeral reception of a priest in our community. Fr. Tony, whom I did not know, died 3 weeks before he was due to retire. He was only 75 — which is young by today’s standards. For my part, I helped serve up the food, welcomed guests to the reception as a greeter, and took empty paper plates from people’s laps and dropped them into the garbage cans — easy peasy! People from all walks of life came to pay their last respects to a man very much loved in the community.

It was a joyful occasion. People were all nice to each other. There was food, laughter, and a feeling of camaraderie as we all worked together and listened to various people recount incidents from Fr. Tony’s life. He came from the parish of Ladysmith, where sex bomb Pamela Anderson grew up. I didn’t see her there, so she must not have known him. Quelle Surprise! Though I gather Pamela is also a popular gal whenever she visits home. Every other person from Ladysmith was there — or so it appeared! What a wonderful way to end your life. Fr. Tony left a beautiful legacy by virtue of the life he lived. He was kind, good humoured, and spread a message of love everywhere he went.

He made people happy because he was a happy person — and happiness is like a mustard seed; the more you nourish it the bigger if GROWS!

Directly after that reception, I went over to the Hospice to be with my dear friend Noelle from Ireland, who was getting ready to depart this world. She died at 5.30 pm yesterday and would have been 92 in December. She was one of the WAAF girls who was active during WWII and had lived a long and very interesting life. She was ready to go.

I decided to give her a good Irish send off so brought in some gentle Irish music, put a little Celtic Angel by her bedside, lit a lilac scented candle in the room as she loved her garden — and God did the rest. She went off peacefully after a long life well lived. Anita my pal from New Zealand, Joy from Australia, Colleen with Irish roots, and myself sang songs around her bedside.

I’ll leave you with the words from Noelle’s favourite song. It was a popular marching song during World War 2:

Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and Smile Smile Smile.

What’s the use of worrying, it never was worth while, so

Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and Smile Smile Smile.

On that happy note,

Bye for now!

Hugs,

Patricia xxx