Welcome to 2016 and its long, strange ride

Well, that was an interesting start to the new year. My first week of 2016 started with two funerals–;one for the father of a friend, the other for the father of my oldest friend. Somebody said we’re “getting to that age.”

I don’t want to be of any age, especially not “that age.” Ah, well.

This isn’t the obituary page, so I’m not going to dwell on the individuals. Of the second funeral, I would say only this: the best compliment I could pay to the deceased is simply to point to the man his son became, and say his life resonates in the life of my friend, a man I love like a brother.

But funerals do give you an opportunity for some reflection–;at least if you’re the maudlin type, like me. Both men died after long lives, with records of service to their country, and both leave behind families and legacies of love. I wonder if, at the end, either worried at all about what was left on their desks at work.

I think not.

I couldn’t help but think they would have approved of a sign I saw hung in one of my brilliant colleague’s rooms right before Christmas. It read “Be Kinder than Necessary.” Actually, that phrase kind of leapt off the wall at me and has been bouncing around in my head for the better part of my Christmas break.

There being very little else to bounce around in my head during Christmas break.

It has made me think about what other expressions would be helpful to bounce around in a few heads for a couple weeks. As I’ve mentioned, I’m not the resolution type, but let me, maybe, suggest a few other phrases of that form that you might find useful in the new year.

Be more generous than is wise. Especially with your time and your judgments.

Be more merciful than is justified. Especially with the least among us.

Be more forgiving than is prudent. Especially with yourself.

Be more honest than is comfortable. This is likely to be the hardest one for me, as my tendency is too often to be too diplomatic. As a wise person once said, “Telling somebody the truth helps them–;telling them what they want to hear helps you.” However, maybe it would be easier to start with yourself on this one, and work your way outward from there.

Be more faithful than is sensible. “The substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen,” sometimes requires a leap that you can’t quite articulate logically. Do it, anyway. Especially with your dreams.

And be more joyful than is reasonable. Why not? At the very least, make everyone else wonder what you know that they don’t.

Welcome to 2016, my friends. It’s going to be a long, strange ride, so keep your chin up, and your wits about you. With a little luck, we can all laugh our way through.

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