Janey's Celebration of Life
Janey (Cox) Kinder died November 22,2011 after a long illness. She was 76. Janey and Kenneth Kinder met in Grass Valley and married in 1956 and moved to Sacramento. They had 55 years of marriage that produced 4 children. She is survived by her husband Kenneth Kinder, sons Mitchell and Matthew Kinder; daughters Tana Kinder and Alta Ljung. Grandchildren Jessica Ljung, Dallas Ljung, Connor Ebersberger, Levi Ebersberger and Braden Ljung. Sister Alta Salamone, Brothers John L. and Wes D. Cox and a host of relatives.
Viewing at Price Funeral Chapel 6335 Sunrise Blvd. Citrus Heights Thursday from 4:00 PM thru 8:00 PM Service is Friday December 2nd in the Community life center at the Fremont Presbyterian Church 5770 Carlson Dr at 2:00PM.
In the past month I have taken my wife to the hospital twice and her health is in jeopardy. That along with the many celebrations of life and memorials I have attended this year is enough to make many want to throw in the towel but that would be a huge mistake. Life wasn't meant to always be a bed of roses and trials and tribulations can strengthen you in ways you might never expect.
I have been busier than a Walmart greeter this year just keeping up with all the hospital visits, doctors appointments, and yes funerals. One of my friends wrote me recently "Strength to you as you say good bye to another friend today. Your memories of people, places and times is an incredible gift that you share...seems like you must pay the price every time you go to a memorial. Thanks for sharing your life with us."
I replied "Paying the price is part of life. A minor price to pay for the joy of sharing time with them when they were alive." Just dwelling on this a bit got me wondering about why it is important to keep a positive attitude along with a smile on your face as much as possible.
When I look around and see the mental and physical problems cast in the paths of so many of my friends and family and I have dodged the bullet most of my life.......well how can I complain? My wife has had so much to go through these past few years but seldom complains........especially to others. "How you feeling Janey?" "Oh I'm doing fine." Well that is a crock as she isn't doing fine and I will at times chime in and tell them the truth. She says why did you tell them? And to me it is so simple.......Truth is the best answer. She can be such a pain in the butt at times but even then she is my hero and I love her for the effort she has put forth in raising our children. I might look like the
happy guy most of the time but Janey is the one who made our home a fun place to live. Her energetic way of just jumping in to situations (Many times not having a clue) makes me proud to call her WIFE, MOTHER, and lifetime partner. She just makes me happy that I have had her around all these years and yes, we do have our knock down and drag outs at times; but that too is part of the territory. So, now you know part of what makes me happy.
Have you ever wondered about what makes you happy? I have and this week, I gave it a lot of consideration. It all started when I realized that people saw me as a happy person. And I kinda wanna keep that going. I seek out happy things. I make a point everyday to do or simply be near something that makes me happy. Like the song goes, I just think of my favorite things…“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens , Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens , Brown paper packages tied up with strings , These are a few of my favorite things” –‘The Sound of Music’
So, what makes me happy?
Making my wife laugh.
Riding my Goldwing.
My children and grandchildren.
Sitting in front of my house waving at passers by on a nice day.
Making macaroni salad and beef stew from scratch.
My messy office with my computer.
Music, Music, Music.
I’m starting to beam just writing these down. And there’s a lot more. Don’t get me started on big hairy dogs, long walks in the woods and a good book on a stormy night. It’s important to know what makes you happy, and I wonder how many people really stop to contemplate the simple things that can be a part of their everyday lives. Now, I should add that happiness is the outward manifestation of inner joy. You can fill up your life with lots of stuff, but if you’re not internally okay with yourself, then there’s only so much a new car can ever do for you, anticipation to me is much better than realization. But that’s for another story. So I ask you, what makes you happy? I’m not talking deliriously happy, like skipping down the street, but just a general feeling of contentment with the world around you. Think about it because I'm a Pepper and I'll bet that you can be a Pepper too.
The difference between the young and older generation appears to result from the importance placed on the future versus the present. Younger people are generally more concerned with the future, base their happiness more on excitement, while older people place a higher value on the present, and so contentment tends to be their priority. Aging brings wrinkles, sagging bodies and frustrating forgetfulness. But getting older is not all bad for many people. Mounting evidence suggests aging may be a key to happiness. I believe it may all boil down to this "Attitude is everything." Older adults tend to be more optimistic and to have a positive outlook on life than their younger, stressed, counterparts.
I believe happiness can be achieved by knowledge alone. Never link money with happiness. Even the poorest people can be happy you see. But money can create a false notion of security in you, You think if you have money, you have everything. The idea of money is for comfort. Isn't it? But money can give you only one type of comfort, physical comfort. It doesn't give emotional and spiritual comfort. Emotional and spiritual comfort for me comes from within and clearing my mind of negative thoughts. Hope this made some sense to you cause it sure helps me to jot down some thoughts at times.........Ken
