On occasion, my father talked about “Flying the Hump” in India during World War II. Whenever he spoke of India, I was enthralled. I, too, wanted to go to India and have adventures. I wanted to see and experience this amazing place for myself.

As rain falls on the forest ground,
As rivers run 'til the sea is found,
As grasses grow and birds abound,
Our dear one has departed this earthly round.

Give thanks for the life he lived so full.
Give thanks for his love and care.
Give thanks for the time he gave us, too,
And the beauty of the world he shared.

Enjoying longer lives as the result of medical advances has changed our experience of death. We face issues that were not present a few generations past. In my grandparents' time, people got ill and either recovered or quickly died. Now the march to death may be prolonged by medical intervention. People linger as their health slowly declines before an illness takes its final toll.