Journal entry by Al Tischler —
I have directed Kathy to post this entry upon my passing. If you have been following my journey here on CaringBridge then the news that I am gone is no surprise. It was a long and hard battle that lasted longer than most thought it would. I was grateful for the extra time afforded to me to be with family and friends.
If you have followed my posts you know that I have no doubt of an afterlife, although I acknowledge that I have no idea what the form will take. I’m not sure our brains in this world are capable of truly grasping the full nature of what comes next.
Thank you very much for all your love and support. It kept my spirits up when I needed it most.
I prefer memorials to one of two tax-deductible organizations:
1. A scholarship fund was set up in the name of a friend’s son who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2013. He attended The Citadel. The web site for the Aaron X. Wittman Scholarship Fund is www.foundation.citadel.edu/wittman.
2. Veterans Resource Center, University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. Gap scholarships or emergency loans. https://give.stthomas.edu/impact/access-and-support/veterans-center/
I believe that if I had made slightly different choices I could have made more money or achieved a loftier title. But those choices would have changed how my life ended up – which was perfect. And so I leave this world with sadness – and great expectation. Try not to be too envious of me that I have discovered what awaits on the other side of the curtain before you. Whether you live 100 years, or 60, our ends are the same. Nobody gets out of here alive. Use the time you have wisely. To those you love – tell them, and show them, often. To those you have wronged – make peace. For those who have wronged you – forgive I have not been perfect in any of these although the cancer made me better (another blessing of cancer). Experience as much of this great and wonderful world as you can. Don’t let fear rule you. It is true that you regret much more the things that you chose not to do. And remember, “A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants.” (From “Chuckles Bites the Dust,” Mary Tyler Moore Show.)
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