Passing the Torch

Funeral services have several functions. The chief function is that funerals help family and friends celebrate the significance of a life lived. And it serves to force people to look in the face of their own mortality and consider some basic truths of life. No doubt both of those functions are important.

But just as important is the fact that a funeral is a venue for friends to gather to support the people they love during a very difficult time of their life. The truth is many times the funeral tends to be the time people get together who really should get together much more often. In other words I’ve seen many reunions take place in cemeteries. And that is a good thing.

This morning my youngest son and I drove over to Reynolds to attend the funeral for Don Bragg. Kathy and I drove over last night for the visitation. Don and Earline Bragg moved to Reynolds from Tifton about 8 years ago. Their daughter, Jill, married a Reynolds boy and moved to Reynolds about 20 years ahead of her parents. We spent many hours with Bucky and Jill for many years. We went to church together, vacationed together and ate no telling how many meals together. They are the kind of friends that you stop whatever you are doing and change your plans if at all possible to be there during the most difficult time of the death of a parent. There is nothing to say really but you just show up. And from personal experience it means a whole lot.


As I mentioned my son went with me to the funeral. He had some folks he wanted to be there for as well. When parents are friends the natural result is their children become friends as well. I also know that from personal experience with my parent’s friends. It is like the passing of the torch.

Luke and Lauren were born two weeks apart and have been best friends their entire life. In fact our three boys and the Johnson girls have always considered themselves as family. As you can see Luke, Lauren, Anna and Whitley are no longer little kids. I have tons of memories of them playing together as they were growing up. I was reminded today that those days are gone.

But the friendships they established continue.

The neat thing is I didn’t have to tell Luke he needed to go to the funeral today. He told me he was going to be there for his friends. And it makes this dad very proud.

I think the torch as been passed.