When I wrote the song “The Ballad of Jon Turner” I had just attended a memorial service for a guy I had never met. He died of brain cancer the week prior and seeing as he sort of knew his demise was imminent, he took some measures to prepare for the service. He wrote some really nice letters to the members of his family. These letters were read in the service. It was a pretty emotional funeral but the thing that struck me most was that this was a guy I wish I had a chance to know. Now though, it was a little too late.
Jon Turner was a family man
He and his wife had a daughter and a son
And even though he finished pretty well
I got the feeling he wasn’t quite done
I think a lot of lessons are learned too late. I’m glad I learned this one that day. I immediately started to think about my own funeral and the impact I have had on people’s lives and what might be said about me at my memorial service. How will I be remembered?
These really aren’t thoughts that are extremely unique, I know, but I think I really began to try to see each day as an opportunity to shape that eventual finishing point.
I wish I could say that I tracked down Jon Turner’s wife and gave her a copy of the CD and the song. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet. Hopefully I’ll post a brief update here when I do. I assume she still lives here in Colorado.
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