Each in our own way, honoring our dead during November

With the days getting shorter, the leaves dropping from the trees and the cold winds beginning to blow, this season is a natural for remembering those who have died in the recent or distant past.

Recently, on Nov. 11, Veterans’ Day, we commemorated those who died in battle. Christians take time to celebrate All Saints’ and All Souls’ days that bring to mind the good people, whether famous or not-sofamous, who have inspired them to lead good lives.

There seem to be more obituaries in the paper at this time, almost as if people are taking their exit cues from Mother Nature. Soon we will gather around Thanksgiving tables to give thanks for our blessings, especially for loved ones who once sat next to us.

It is good to tell stories about missing friends and family, with each memory giving another side or shade to the persons we have lost. We know that when we share memories of the deceased, they are with us in a unique way. We emphasize their colorful traits and idiosyncrasies, and we embellish their lives to make a good story. We hope to inspire our children with stories of their elders so that they are proud, or at least fascinated, and in our telling we amaze ourselves.

It is said that highly developed societies have a great respect for their dead, and this is portrayed in their arts, religions and traditions. Death and dying are natural and sacred, and in honoring those who have died, these cultures enrich the living.

During a quiet moment this November, take some time, bow your head if you wish, and respectfully remember those who have died. They may be close friends, family, or the unknown millions who have died in tragedy. Give them a moment of respect from your busy life and touch the mystery of death we all face together.

Ain’t so?