Pulling Over for Henry

Where I live people still pull off to the side of the road when a funeral procession passes to show their respect for the dead and sympathy for the family - most of the time, anyway. Earlier today his family and friends laid Henry Ford Carr to rest. As we drove from the church to the cemetery the opposite shoulder was crowded with vehicles ranging from Saturns to semis with their hazard lights on and their drivers' hats off.

I like that.

It reminds me that there are events in life that are more important than rushing to work, or to an appointment. Is it inconvenient to wait while a hearse and a Cadillac lead their slow parade of bereavement. If you're in a hurry, you find yourself checking your watch. You fight the temptation to begin to inch along a bit or call ahead on your cell phone.

What stops you? The realization that your inconvenience is nothing compared to that of the folks you see dabbing their eyes as they file by. A funeral - even when it is for someone you don't know - is a reminder that you too will one day make the journey from the funeral home to your final resting place.

And even if you're pinched for time, a moment spent pondering all of that is worth the wait.