It was at my grandmother’s funeral recently that I realized how fortunate I am to have such a loving and caring family. Attending the services were my uncles, aunts, cousins, sisters and other relatives. I was one of the casket bearers and carried my grandmother to her final resting place.
After six of us had carried the casket, the entire family huddled beneath a canopy while the snow fell from the sky. The air was cold and my feet and hands were numb, tingling for warmth. As the service began and the opening remarks were made, I looked around at all of the faces of my blood. I could see the tears and the sadness that was painted on all of their faces. I turned to my left and saw my mother crying. I turned to the right and saw one of my sisters crying.
Looking around at my family, I noticed the arms around shoulders and the hugging of bodies, consoling one another. I looked to my sister and put my arm around her.
A funeral is a sad moment and it was this one in particular that tugged on my heart strings. But a funeral is also a celebration of life and remembering the times shared with that special person.
It was under that canopy, with water dripping on my black shirt and with my arm around my sister, that I came to understand the importance of my family. I finally grasped the meaning of love and the meaning of togetherness. I realized that without my family I would probably be dead, and instead of standing next to them under that canopy, it would be my body in that coffin.
The service ended and the family gathered at the reception, mostly eating food, drinking coffee, and catching up on our lives that seem to be moving way too fast. We all hugged and parted our different ways, continuing on to the next chapter in our busy lives.
Life is short and we could go at any minute. We need to take time out of our lives and spend it with our families. We need to create memories that not even death could erase. I believe in family and believe we should celebrate our loved ones everyday.

Mike Karr is a staff writer and contributing editorial cartoonist for the Northern Wyoming Daily News. He is also an artist, writer, poet, bowler, brother, son and grandson.