Below is a poem that Dad asked me to read at his funeral. Dad said it summed up perfectly his philosophy of life. I hope you enjoy it…and let’s keep laughing because that’s what Gene would want.
Linda
It Was a Very Good Day
Between my rising hour of 8 AM
And my retiring hour of midnight,
I was a model of exemplary behavior.
I ate the proper amount of fruit
And vegetables and protein
And chewed each bite thirty-two times.
I made sure to limit my fat and my starch,
My cholesterol and my carbohydrates,
My salt and my sugar,
Forsaking the white bread
For healthy whole wheat.
I walked and jogged and lifted,
And exercised my lungs.
I did not partake of alcohol,
Or any drugs, legal or illegal.
I inhaled no tobacco smoke,
Neither first nor second hand.
I walked to work.
And en route I gave,
Out of the goodness of my heart,
Contributions of various sizes
To various homeless persons.
At the office, I did an honest day’s work
For an honest day’s pay.
At night, I scorned the mundane
And watched a National Geographic Special
On Public Broadcasting
As I ate low calorie popcorn,
Plain, without butter.
I flossed, brushed my teeth,
Got into bed,
And proudly contemplated my exemplary behavior.
And then it hit me.
The entire day had been rendered meaningless
By one simple omission
Not once, not for one solitary moment,
In the course of the flawless day,
Did I pause and take a moment to laugh.
— Written by Ed Simmons