Mother Teresa was 87 when she died. Frank Sinatra was 82. Methuselah lived 900 years.

Yogi Berra had some advice about funerals. He said to always go to other people's funerals. Otherwise, they won't come to yours.

A friend told me about a grave stone that says,

A tourist put this at the bottom of the inscription,

"To follow you I am not content

Until I know which way you went."

Have you ever wondered what would be written on your headstone? I've thought about it lately. My philosophical side would want, "There are no luggage racks on a hearse." My educational inclination would favor "A teacher to the last." My spiritual leaning would persuade me to choose, "Home at last."

What is etched in stone isn't really that important. In actuality, we are writing our obituary or epitaphs everyday we live.

Buddy and I have had a good marriage. If he were to go before me, I'd really miss him and all those little things he does for me I tend to take for granted. He tells me that he will greatly miss me. I hope so or I would have failed miserably in matrimony.

Some words to a song from the Great Gatsby comes to mind:

In time, Buddy will be O.K. after I'm gone. He knows death is part of living and that I've had my bags packed for this journey for a long time. So has he. Because of our spiritual faith, we take comfort in knowing that our separation will only be temporary. In the meanwhile I'll keep fighting this cancer and he'll keep holding my hand.

Recently I saw a sign in a plant nursery that caught my attention. It said, "Our plants are guaranteed to live or die trying." Yet, I have a true, but unwritten platitude that beats it: "I am going to live forever. Not even dying can stop me."

None of us can live this life but once, but if we do it right, once is enough. Then comes life's graduation.