Life, Death, and Weddings...there is a correlation between the three of these ideas and realities. Well, in my life today there is.

First, on a sad note, a girl my age from Xenia died in a motorcycle accident early Saturday morning. Her name was Melissa Beam. I didn't know her, but I know the name. I think she was one year ahead of me in high school.

I found this out through a posting on facebook, and several people posting messages about her on Facebook. It's very sad when anyone fairly young dies.

It should make us pause and think, but so rarely does it make me pause unless it was someone I knew personally. Or maybe I do pause, but I don't reflect too deeply.

I've been fortunate to experience little death in my life. I lost a grandma and grandpa when I was fairly young, and my other grandmother passed away last year. She was 97 though...Death is never easy or something you want to face, but when someone lives a long life like that I think it's a little easier to accept.

Yet there is a part of us that is surprised by death. I know I feel this way especially when you hear like a young celebrity dies. For some reason, it surprises us. Maybe it's a mixture of sadness and surprise.

I've heard it said, until we're ready to face death, we can't really live...or something to that affect. I believe that statement.


There's a couple statements in life like that that I think are very true...another is the statement/thought that until you're comfortable being single you probably aren't ready to get married.

Basically, if you think your whole life's happiness revolves around another person, you're probably not ready to be married. There are some clarifcations to go along with that thought, but I think it's mostly true.

There are certain girls I've run across who it seemed just longed to get married. That's not a bad desire, but it seemed they were in a little bit of a hurry. I think I was having this conversation with my sister once. She was saying that a lot of girls in college marry the first guy that comes along and is serious about her.

It seems that very few of us know what true love is. I think it would be wise  to watch a couple that's been married for a long time and ask them why it still works...what keeps them loving each other? Why have they not left each other after 20-30 years of marriage like you hear happening today?

I have to say I've often had the same problem as the ladies...I think it may be something ladies struggle with more in general, but some of us guys struggle with it a lot too. This idea that meeting someone of the opposite sex is the be all end all of life. If I don't meet that girl, how could I be happy? I think I've made it an idol in my life. I have a hard time reconciling these thoughts, because I know it's a good desire to want to meet someone and spend your life with them. But if it's all I put my hope in, that can't be a good thing.


I went to a wedding today with a friend from high school. I had a good time catching up with her and enjoying the wedding. The reception was in an old funeral home which was interesting. Nothing wrong with converting a funeral home into a place for wedding receptions, but the fact that you could still see the signs for the funeral home (they were covered with see through bags) was a little funny to me. Once inside, I didn't think about it, but as my Mom said, "People just don't do things well anymore."  If you're going to convert your funeral home into a party hall, at least take the funeral home signs down!



I think if I ever do get married, I would like an Irish/Celtic band to play at my wedding. This will probably be a topic for another blog, but man I love Irish music. They have a 2 hour show on Saturday afternoons on WYSO 91.3 that I've caught a bit of the last 2 weeks...it's all Celtic music. It's inspired me a bit.

I think Irish music is beautiful, although it's funny that it seems like 75% of Irish songs are about beer. Didn't the Irish have something else to write about besides beer?

But the melodies and the rhthyms of Irish music are just incredible in my mind. There's a lot of joy to many of the jigs, rounds, etc. that I think would be sweet to have at a wedding. It's just happy music!

At the same time, some of the sadder Irish songs have just beautiful and touching melodies.



Well I've managed to say a whole lot of nothing here! If you read all the way through this I salute you Jon Jacob JingleHeimerSmith!


Jer