"Empty Chairs..."

“Empty chairs and empty tables…” is a musical number from Les Miserables. It refers to missing those people who have been a part of our life but who are now lost to death. In the musical the song joins the storyline following a street skirmish of the French Revolution. Many young idealists and patriots have lost their lives in that battle. A compatriot of theirs missed the action and is now in sorrow as he contemplates the emptiness of the local gathering spot; the empty chairs and tables haunt him as he mourns the loss of his friends.

Yesterday I wrote of a friend being stricken by a massive stroke. Cliff Johnson (84) died early the next morning. As word of his passing spread through our church membership another member’s death became known as well, Fred Hafner, 90. Although expected Fred’s death came as a sad counterpoint. His wife, Florence (89) died just a few weeks ago and her memorial service is scheduled for this Saturday morning, October 6^th. Now the service will include his funeral and memorial as well. As they shared their lives for over 55 years, now they will be remembered together at the same memorial service, in their shared church home with their family and friends shared over these many years.

We have lost other members of our church this year, all close and personal. We will miss them all of course; but it is the convergence of these good people leaving so closely together. They belonged to a generation that experienced much in our social lives and nation’s history. World War II is the big shared experience. So too the depression and its aftermath; and the rebuilding of our nation following war time: returning GIs, mass education and career training of them, and of course, building homes for millions of new babies and expanding families. Later it was the story of their families growing into new roles of history and technology as global markets reinvented who we are and how we lived our lives.

Cliff was our town’s first Fire Chief. He built a fire department that was the envy of many neighboring towns. He became a professional fire fighter while also owning a small business, supporting a family and lending his hand in nurturing a community to its bigger dreams and possibilities. He and his wife became real estate professionals as well. Cliff’s public service led to a new elementary school being named after him. During retirement Cliff’s life story continued to grow and inspire.

As the current Fire Chief retired this weekend and passed the baton to his replacement, the first generation chief, Cliff Johnson, passed away. A confluence that is noticeable. Remarkable, too, don’t you think?

Fred and Florence Hafner passed away so close to one another, another confluence? Of course it is; the timing is almost elegant and so appropriate to them both!

Rather than wondering at length what all this means, I think we should accept the reality of the happenings. These are the facts of our lives. This is the march of time we share. The confluence is interesting. It speaks to a larger sharing of time and space. But it also alerts us to the basic fact that these people will no longer sit at our tables or in our chairs of everyday life. They are gone. Not forgotten, certainly. They leave so much in their wake to remember. They showed us the way and had fun doing it! We will remember them and let them remain a part of our lives.

Empty chairs and tables, but so many memories!

October 2, 2012