Welcome all to the life celebration of Dan McLaughlin. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Dan’s Uncle Joey. I thought long and hard as what to say today. I want to be able to say all of the right things, and be proper at such a solemn event. But as most of know, I’m not always proper. Let me start by saying Cancer Sucks! Dan was cheated! How could this happen to someone so young? How could this happen to MY nephew? I’ve wrestled with these questions for the past 8 days. And I’m sure that I will continue to wrestle with these questions because quite frankly, I miss Dan tremendously.
As I tried to think of all of the right things to say, I
kept coming back to an odd thing to talk about at a funeral, laughter and
fishing. You are probably thinking of
where I am going with these thoughts. So
let me explain.
I’d say about 15 years ago, I came up with an idea of
starting a family fishing trip. The
reason I thought of this was simple, I was tired of seeing everybody at the occasional
family function, wedding, or the dreaded funeral, and always talking the same
old kind of small talk that people do. I
thought a family fishing trip would create a common bond for all of us to have. (And of you have ever been at one of our family
functions some story or stories from past fishing trips comes up that makes
everybody laugh.) The idea of a fishing trip started off slow, with maybe 6
family members going the first year. But
I persisted, and continued to do it each year.
Each year it continued to get bigger and bigger, not because we caught
so many fish, but because of the stories and laughter from these trips. We now stand 25 large, and span 3 generations
of family members going. We now call of
the Red Baron Memorial, in honor of another family member, Uncle Joe.
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| Boots, a hat, and on a boat. One happy Dan! |
You are probably wondering why I’m talking about the Red
Baron Memorial, and what does it have to do with today. It has everything to do with today because it’s
those happy memories from those fishing trips that are going to get me through
the hard days ahead. I’m going to
remember Dan’s sly smile. Dan and I talking on the phone about taking care of
the camping sites. Dan and I talking on the phone the day of the trip and
wondering where each of us were on the parkway.
Dan and I, and usually Steve and Pat, being the first to the
campsite. Setting up our campsites, and
gathering wood to burn for our campfires.
Dan booking the camping mansion.
Dan and I making fun of the idiots who got lost on the way to the
campground. Dan’s sock full of change to
play poker. Dan taking the time to show
little Joey how to play poker. Dan
playing ladderball. Dan playing wiffleball
and his goofy battings stance. Dan’s
fishing hats. Dan’s boots. (He got that one from me because I live in my
boots.) Dan and I kissing the tog fish we caught on one of the winter trips,
and Dan coming up with the “Ben Pool.” Dan coming with the saying “The Feats of
Strength” when I was stretching out Uncle Chris on my back. Dan’s Don’t Treat on Me flag, and my Superman
undeies we put out at the road for a landmark so everybody could find the camping
mansion. These are my memories of Dan
that will always make me laugh, and that I will always treasure. I’m sure everybody who stands here with me
has their own memories of Dan too that they can reflect on and that puts a
smile on their faces.
Please don’t leave here today thinking cancer won. Cancer
never wins, it change the rules, it cheats! Rather, leave here with a thought,
or a funny memory that you and Dan shared that made you smile, and laugh. I know I will.
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| Dan and Joey, kissing a tog! |
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