Like life everywhere, ours seem to have gotten out of control. Several ongoing projects demand more time than we can give them. We are taking days out of the week attending funerals. Cousins, uncles and friends have died,so we have attended funerals.
I walk away from each funeral disappointed that we did not celebrate the life that just ended.
When did funerals become an opportunity to preach, giving only cursory acknowledgement to the deceased?
Uncle Shorty Lastracco passed away at the age of 102.
Thanks to a video made when he was 100 the mourners got a glimpse of his extraordinary life. A sea trip at age 3 brought him from a small village in Italy to Ellis Island. His name, and the names of his parents are inscribed on the wall at Ellis Island.
At age 11 he became an American citizen. His pride in that accomplishment still evident at age 100.
Italian was not allowed to be spoken in the home his parents made in Rosharon,Tx. "We are Americans now", we speak English" he recalled his father saying. My husband, Robert Turner remembers him telling that.
At age 16 he drove a chuck wagon on a cattle drive that took cattle from the gulf coast salt grass flats to market.
At age 21 he rented his first farm. His rent was 1/4 of the corn and 1/3 of the cotton. He made his rent that first year.
That video comforted my husband, his nephew. He was known as "Uncle Shorty" to so very many, yet that name was never uttered by the pastor who led the service.
Uncle Shorty was considered to be the "meanest man ever" by many who in their older age laugh while saying it. They see now what Uncle Shorty was trying to do then; raise them to be honest, hard working, self sufficient men and women.
Theirs was an extended family of aunt, uncles, cousins and grandparents. They are all passing on now, the group shrinking season by season.
Uncle Shorty was the last of the generation, his passing truly marks the end of an era for his family.
His funeral should have celebrated his establishment and leadership of that family.
My husband said, upon leaving the service, "It really doesn't matter, we grew up with him, Uncle Shorty left his mark on his kids, and all of us cousins. There won't ever be anybody like Uncle Shorty. He helped make us who we are now, he touched a lot of rowdy kids who grew up to be pretty good men and women. We don't need any preacher to tell us that, hell, we KNEW him!"
Blessed were those who did.
