Ray’s Daily
October 15, 2019
Thank you Mary Shafer and Bob Moorhead
I recently learned that a friend who I held in high regard passed after a long battle with cancer. Her death brought memories from ten years ago. Here is the Daily from October 15, 2019.
“I may be here for a short while, gone tomorrow into oblivion or until the days come to take me away. But, in whatever part you play, be remembered as part of a legacy…of sharing dreams and changing humanity for the better. It’s that legacy that never dies”
Author Unknown
The last day or so has included feelings of regret, sadness, remembrance and gratitude as well as mourning. Two important and good people have passed on.
One was Mary Shafer the wife of Past Kiwanis International President Bo Shafer. Mary was one of gods special people, she always exhibited kindness and treated every one with style and grace, always leaving those she met with a feeling of warmth. Mary had been battling cancer for about 10 years and even during periods of debilitating treatments she sustained a positive outlook. Each of us go through life meeting the great, the near great and those who are just good ordinary folks and as we do we sometimes run into someone whose glow lingers after they have moved on and for me Mary’s glow will live forever.
The other loss was Past Kiwanis International Foundation President General Bob Moorhead. Bob was an amazing man, many of us are fortunate to reach the top in one thing while Bob achieved greatness in the Army, Auto Racing, public service and much more. Bob was one of the most important people in my life for he made it possible for me to work with the Kiwanis Foundation and later to have a leading role in the global partnership between Kiwanis International and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Bob was always the kind of guy who went out and did what needed to be done while everyone else sat around talking about it. He had lost most of his eyesight some years ago but it did not slow him down very much as he continued to live one of the richest and fruitful lives possible. Unfortunately he had been very ill for a number of years but now he has found peace, he may no longer be with us in body but his legacy will continue to provide dividends through the folks he has left behind to do the work; people he chose, motivated, pushed and positioned to share in his greatness.
These two are examples of lives well lived and the thing that they have in common was their concern for others. I like to believe that they also enjoyed being able to go home each day with the positive feeling that comes from a job well done.
It is those who just exist each day without much concern for others who deserve our tears while sweet Mary and the General deserve our gratitude.
So good by old friends you did well.
~~~
“The only thing you take with you when you’re gone is what you leave behind.”
John Allston
~~~
While I am tempted to end today’s Daily leaving only the above, I don’t think Mary and Bob would want me to as they enjoyed life too much. So please accept it in the spirit of which it is offered as we do need pleasure to offset the pain.
Ray
~~~
A Recently Spotted Bumper Sticker:
“The Ten Commandments Are Not Multiple Choice.”
GOD
~~~
A guy goes to the psychiatrist. “Doctor,” says the guy, “I feel as if I’m two different people! Two totally different personalities. Do you think I need help? Can you help me? Am I doing the right thing seeing a psychiatrist?”
“Whoah! Whoah! Whoah!” says the doc. “Please, one at a time.”
~~~
I began thinking about my own mortality after I became a widow. One day my daughter called home from college, and I announced to her, “I think it’s time for us to talk about where I would like to be buried.”
“It’s way too soon to even think of anything like that,” she snapped indignantly. Then there was a brief silence.
“Wait a minute, did you say married or buried?”
When I repeated buried, she said, “Oh, okay, sure.”
~~~
“Some people believe that holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go – and then do it.”
Ann Landers
~~~
Flying home after visiting her daughter in England, she arranged to have her husband meet her plane at the Vancouver, B.C. airport. This meant a stop at the border crossing between the United States and Canada, where her husband was asked: “What is your reason for entering the country?” and “How long are you planning to stay?”
He replied that he was picking his wife up at the airport after her trip to England.
Without missing a beat, the guard asked two more questions in the same businesslike tone: “Is the house clean?” And, “Are there fresh flowers on the table?”
~~~
Don’t worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
~~~
At a small parish in rural New England there lived a priest, and several nuns. One day, one of the older nuns was noticing that the rugs in the church were beginning to fray. She went to the priest and told him “Father, I believe your rugs need to be replaced soon.”
The priest thanked her for bringing it to his attention, and told her that he thought that she had been there long enough to refer to church property as “our” not “your.”
Several days later, the same nun noticed that the hedge needed to be trimmed. She again went to the priest and told him “Father, I’ve noticed that your… I mean our hedge needs to be trimmed.”
The priest thanked her for again bringing something to his attention and this time asked her if she had seen his watch that had gone missing. She assured him she would look for it.
Another few days passed, and the parish received word that the bishop would be coming for a visit. The whole parish was in a uproar of cleaning, etc.
On the day the bishop arrived, the same nun came down the front stairs yelling “Father, Father, I found your watch!!”
The bishop said, “How wonderful my child.”
After saying ‘hello’ to the bishop, the nun turned to the priest and said “Why, yes, Father, I found it under our bed.”
~~~
“The word ‘aerobics’ came about when the gym instructors got together and said:
If we’re going to charge $10 an hour, we can’t call it jumping up and down.”
Rita Rudner
~~~
Molly was worried that her three-year-old son was unusually precocious, and took him to a psychiatrist. “Right,” said the shrink, “We’ll just try a few simple tests.” To Morris the boy, he said “Say a few words – anything that comes into your mind.” The boy turned to his mother and asked, “Does he want logically constructed sentences or just a few random and purely isolated words without any split infinitives?”
~~~
“Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he isn’t. A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.”
Horace Walpole
~~~
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.
Stay well, do good work, and have fun.
Ray's Daily 
Comments on: "Farewell" (1)
I’m so sorry