If you have to have one ...

If you have to have one, this is it. A favorite obituary of one of my friends:

Wilma Katarina Molbert, 74, of Baytown died peacefully in her beloved apartment on Wednesday. Loving family members and devoted friends surrounded her bedside. Wilma's last hours were filled with laughter, sweet stories, prayer and singing.

What a wonderful way to die ... enjoying your final moments sharing in the joy of life with loved ones. I haven't seen Wilma in more than 30 years, but she passed away exactly like I remembered her living it.

What if everlasting life is simply the legacy that we leave behind ... and heaven is composed of the joyous memories and the laughter your descendants share when they tell stories about you. And hell ... well, nothing; everybody just forgets.

At my dad's funeral, everyone had a 'George story' to share, and now I wonder if that's how friends and family help create a heaven for the loved one they've lost. My mother's funeral went the same way, and there were even some stories that portrayed my mother in a gutsy manner that I'd never recognized.

I admire my friend Wilma's family and how they helped her face her passing as a celebration of a wonderful life. And, without words, they told her that her heaven is secure. Sharing moments of joy while facing the loss of a close friend or family member takes courage, faith and selflessness. Tell your loved one that he or she how special they've made your life and how they'll be remembered.

What a wonderful way to die ... except for maybe the 84-year-old softball teammate of a friend who had a heart attack rounding third base ... or, to paraphrase a crusty former co-worker, 'to die at 99, shot by a jealous husband.'