A few weeks ago I attended the funeral for my Uncle Dave. He was by every count a decent man, exemplified by the service itself. It began with his fellow volunteer firemen providing a testament to his forty-seven years of service, later multiple moving letters were read from each of his children and grandchildren. The homily offered by the priest spoke of a man he knew well and was clearly so fond of. Then there was the music. My uncle loved to sing. He sang regularly in his church choir, at weddings and other social events. His fellow choir members included a picture of him singing in the seat where he typically sat. Upon the conclusion of the service and carried over to the reception that followed, one could not help knowing that he was a decent man who was dearly loved.
Weeks earlier, I drove one of my daughters to another funeral. It was part of a volunteer experience where she plays taps on her trumpet at the service of veterans upon the families’ request. Upon reading the obituary of the man she was about to honor, it became clear that he too was a decent man. Beyond his military service, he was also an educator for most of his life. The family did not know that their trumpeter would be a fourteen year old girl but were so kind and loving – proof that they’re father’s decency was one of many traits passed down to them. They told the story of how their father, who grew up with little means, was able to go to college through the kindness of his first boss at Rudy’s Fish Stand. Apparently Rudy was a decent guy too.
My daughter’s participation in this program was recommended by her trumpet teacher. He himself is a decent man. Always going out of his way to help her, including recently spending several hours trying to find and then test a new trumpet before we purchased it. He refused any compensation for his time, telling us of that when he was younger his trumpet teacher purchased a suit for him, which he could not afford, so that he could play at recitals. He was simply paying back his act of decency with one of his own.
I think you see the pattern here. Everywhere around us there are decent men and women who go about their lives simply being decent to other people. They are often unassuming, perhaps invisible to most. For some, their decency is only fully appreciated when they are gone.
It is understandable that we get caught up in the tumult and upheaval around us – blustering artifacts and consequences of the acts of indecent folks. But I believe that they are the exception, not the rule. Everywhere around me I see decent people, trying to lead good lives – ready, willing and able to help their neighbors at a moment’s notice.
Here is to the decent ones quietly making the world a better place. And here’s to you because I bet you are among them.
This week’s recommendation. Go find some water. Not because it’s unbearably hot but because research shows spending just a little time near a body of water is restorative, fills us with a sense of awe and fuels our imagination. More so than spending time in any other natural setting.