I said good-bye to a dear friend last night. His passing came as a shock to all who knew him, yet while sitting at his memorial service last night, I couldn’t help but think of all he taught me…taught all of us. And last night he was still getting his message across, as only he could do.

Charlie was a man that lived larger than life, and embraced every day of his life as a gift. He never liked to sweat the small stuff, and believed that the good always surpassed the bad. I can remember talking to him on the phone about a situation I was going through. He listened, he offered support, and then he said, “Ok, enough of all that. Tell me all the good stuff that happened today.”

That’s who he was, and that’s who he still is.

There were tears shed last night as his family shared beautiful memories of him, yet the laughter and smiles were much more prominent than the tears. As each story was told and each memory shared, those of us that knew him smiled at remembering our own memories, and laughed with each funny story told about him, because we knew them to be true!

Charlie and I had many conversations about love and life, and our spiritual beliefs. And last night he had the last word with all of us as we paid our final respects…yet then again, death isn’t final. It’s another journey for a soul to take, and while he left too soon, he left peacefully. He did what most can’t do: he left a legacy, he left a lesson, and he left a lot of love.

His passing was a “waking up” moment for all of us to realize how precious life is and that there is no day planner to tell us when our last breath will be taken. And Charlie knew that.

His gift to all that knew him was to love long and hard, cherish those that you love, and laugh every single day of your life. I believe that his gift to all that knew him is something that we can give to others, and that’s who he was…and is. And that is what he would have wanted.

I know that last night he was sitting up in the Universe with a drink in hand, smiling down on all of us, and having a good laugh at all the memories being shared! As for me, I could hear him telling me, as he had so many times throughout the years:  “Yeah, life can stink sometimes, but why worry about it? You do the best you can, you love the best you can, and you live the best you can. You can’t ask for more than that. So be grateful everyday and know that you’re blessed.”

Thank you for being my friend, Charlie, and no worries… you did get the last word in, as always, and you’ve left us with your legacy to share with all those we know.

My message for all of you today is simple:

“Live life to the fullest, love big, and laugh as hard as you can!”

It worked for Charlie, and it’s working for me. Give it a try!

Wishing you extra love and light today,

~Anne Dennish~

Rest in peace, my dear friend!