A Eulogy of Gratitude

Prompt: Write a story in the form of a series of thank you cards (and as an expression of gratitude to someone.)

A Eulogy of Gratitude

The late Frank Sinatra made popular in his song, My Way¹ these words:

“Regrets, I've had a few

But then again, too few to mention

I did what I had to do

And saw it through without exemption

I planned each charted course

Each careful step along the byway

And more, much more than this

I did it my way”

Yes, I did it my way and now I am scurrying to jot down these thank you cards before I fall asleep.

Thank you…

Mom and Dad for giving me life as a boy. I doubt that I could handle the drama, the hair curlers and moodiness being a girl like one of my sisters.  With seven other mouths to feed, you always made sure I had enough to eat along with my four brothers and three sisters.  To this day however, I could never eat another frozen fish stick or Salisbury steak again.  I never lacked for the clothes on my back even if they had to be hand-me-downs one size too small. I had a roof over my head and a place to sleep even it was in a room with four of my crazy brothers. And by the way, thanks for doing your best at trying not to publicize your smooching and love sickness for each other in front of me.

I would not have been the person I am today because your love was so great for me. Your examples of selfless hard work, nurturing, self-discipline, and faith reside deeply within me.

Thank you…

For those vacations we took during the summer when the ten of us would pack ourselves into our old Ford station wagon and strap a half dozen suitcases to its top.  Special thanks to my brother Jimmy whose smelly feet would nearly cause our dad to pass out driving creating a pit stop for sodas and candy. Thanks to Ford Motor Company for making such lousy water pumps that would break down on the freeway allowing us to stay at a roadside motel with a heated pool.

Kudos to my dad who drove over fifteen hundred miles to get to my grandma’s house on the east coast, where she lived near a bay infested with nasty crabs, jellyfish, and slimy seaweed. Yeah, swimming was the highlight of our vacation activities.

Thank you, grandma for putting up with my shenanigans as I made your dog, Lizzie, go berserk as we chased the gulls and pigeons around the yard.

Thank you…

I thought I would never say this, but thanks to my brothers and sisters. Since we were only year or so apart, relatively speaking, we had some awesome baseball, basketball, and tag football games together. Also, it provided a time to seek vengeance on a sibling who had recently offended me. I am grateful that were too many of them to buy Christmas and birthday gifts for each one. When I had times of sadness, however, I am thankful that there was always one of the seven there to console me. 

I am so appreciative for those times one of you would take the blame for something I had done. Rosy cheeks are no picnic and I do not mean the ones on your face.

Thank you…

Snow. Yeah, it was cold but so much fun. I raced around like a lunatic trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue. I had a fabulous time building a snow fort. Pelting my brothers with iced packed snowballs made me feel like a warrior. Once in a while my aim was not so good and I would hit one of my sisters. Thank you, God, I could outrun her. And, thank you that my four brothers were all older than me so they had to do the shoveling.

Thank you…

Christmas time and the baby Jesus. I was so enamored by the bright decorations and cheery faces that lit up our house for weeks. The house would smell of fresh pine and newly baked cookies which I could not eat until Aunt Mabel came to dinner on Christmas Eve.  With wide-eyed fascination we would all race down to see the presents under the tree.  Eventually, mom and dad would slowly amble down the stairs bleary-eyed and half asleep until they had several cups of coffee. My parents scrimped and saved to give us the gifts we wanted for that year. We still complained until my mom put the baby Jesus into the manger reminding us what the holiday really should be about.

And then it ended. The tree became fire kindling and smelled like compost. I am so grateful my oldest brother Tim had the been assigned the task to manhandle the tree down to the curb for disposal.

Thank you…

My friends. They told me I would never make it as a stand-up comedian thus saving me from a life of hilarity and unrestrained laughter (at myself). To the numerous times we would gather and just laugh hysterically for no reason at all. Thanks to some of my friends, who after years of no communication remembered me at the fiftieth high school reunion because I still owed them a favor or two.

But for my closest friends, I am profoundly grateful for your companionship during my difficult times whether they were financial or health related.

Thank you…

My enemies. I hoped by me being nice to them they would have seen I was not such a bad guy. I really did not want the Lord to heap burning coals upon their head on Judgment Day because they were so unfriendly to me. Also, I am grateful you thought I was too much of a wimp to beat the living tar out of me fearing I might just shatter into pieces.

Thank you…

For law enforcement officers, aka the cops.  Thank you for giving me first-hand experience at being stopped for speeding when I was backing out of my parent’s driveway. Then for a second and a third time which resulted in the revocation of my temporary driver’s license. These events prompted my parents to hire professional driving services to “hone” my skills to pass the state driver’s test. These harrowing events put the fear of God in me to this day. I have never had another ticket in my life.

Thank you…

For all my assorted jobs I endeavored to try.  When I was a teenager working as a stocker at a local food store, I had the opportunity to meet the first of many high school sweethearts. As I grew older and more confident in my abilities, I learned to be financially frugal by opting to work the night shift on the night of my high school prom. 

Thankfully in college I realized that I was never meant to be a fast-food employee when one day the manager came at me with a fire extinguisher in full mode spray. Grease fires can be tricky and not for the faint of heart.

For my jobs requiring a college education, eight years of lectures, lab practicums, group studies and all-nighters costing thousands of dollars. The investment yielded starting salaries that averaged less than the hourly minimum wage.  Eventually my college investment paid itself off with a decent salary but with only six months left before mandatory retirement.

Thank you…

For my wife and eight children. You think I would have been a little more restrained with child procreation after growing up with seven siblings. We had more good times than bad. Yet in those bad times we always managed to persevere because of the grace of God. My mind is a kaleidoscope of memories of our children from infancy to young adulthood.  Now I have six grandchildren to take our history into the future.

My deepest gratitude is to my wife as she did not know what she was getting into when she said those fateful words, “I do.” I did warn her what you see is what you get. 

Thank you…

For my faith in Jesus Christ, as I lay in hospice writing these last words. You are my Light, my Life, my Hope, my Salvation. There is no other.  Lord, I am ready to go home.

Thank you…

To my Pastor for reading these words to those who love and respect me.  

No Tears for Me

Turn your head and listen to those words that are very dear; his time has drawn near.

His feeble breath means inevitable death.

Your eyes are moist with tears, yet, it is imperative that you alleviate your fears.

Listen, my friend, life can be cruel; often, it is a game played without a single rule.

Even in the face of sorrow, there will always be a tomorrow.

Turn your grimace into a smile; perhaps, then you will be at ease for a little while.

When I die, remember not to cry, nor must you question why.

For you see, when it is your time to go, shortly thereafter, all of God’s mysteries you will know.

No tears for me, my friend, no matter how much pain I must suffer in the end.

For as long as you live, you shall always have the past to cherish,             a plastic rose that surely will never perish.  (author:  P. Gautchier)

And yes, “I did it My Way, but with the help of God.” Thank you, Heavenly Father.

1.      My Way, sung by Frank Sinatra, lyrics by Paul Anka, Gilles Thibaut, Claude Francois, Jacques Revaux, 1969.

Prompts: Reedsy.com

Author: Pete Gautchier