Strange though it may sound, Â one of the greatest honours I’ve ever had is to perform music at someones funeral. In those moments when I’m performing there is such a deep connection with Spirit and a knowingness that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. Over the years I’ve had the privilege to perform for people from all walks of life – the very wealthy and the very poor, the well known and the not so well known, very big funerals and very small funerals. No matter whose funeral it is, my intention is always to help those who are grieving in their moment of need.
Funerals are such great reminders to us all of the fragility of life. The message is always the same – this physical existence of ours will end some day. This simple and profound message was captured so magnificently in a poem by Robert Herrick (1591 – 1674) , To the Virgins to Make Much of Time, first published in 1648. It was made famous in the film Dead Poets Society, it read:
Gether ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
On Sunday last I got a call from someone asking me to pipe at their fathers funeral. The weather was very wintery with snow everywhere and more forecast. Anyway he asked me to be at the graveyard the following day at about 11.30am.
Monday arrived and yes there was loads of snow, the roads werent too good but I headed out to travel about 30 miles to the graveyard. Well I got there easily enough and it was cold. I decided to stay in my car to wait until the funeral cortege arrived and to keep my hands warm so I could play the bagpipes.
I put on the radio to hear what was on – no surprise loads of “doom and gloom”, so I switched channel to 2FM (Irish national radio). A radio presenter from , Colm Hayes was talking about the weather and asked people to text in any unusual clothing they were wearing to work, given the cold and the snow. I couldn’t resist the temptation so I texted in “I’ve gone to work in a kilt to bagpipe at a funeral! It’s chilly”. They phoned me within a couple of minutes asking me would I talk on air.
Well the funeral party could arrive at any moment but I decided to seize the moment and say “yes!“.
Here I was in a graveyard in the snow, getting ready to bagpipe at a funeral and suddenly I was being interviewed on national radio! No time to prepare, no time to think, just do it. If you’d like to hear the interview including me warming up the bagpipes just click on the link below:
Click here to listen to – Colm Hayes radio interview with Sean M Kelly
Sometimes we become so “rigid” in our ways that much of the joy is taken out of life – we live each day as a carbon copy of the day before and each week we struggle along a soul destroying repeatitive threadmill motivated by a fear of doing anything out of the ordinary!
Today there is snow all over Ireland and there are kids playing everywhere, in fact there are loads of adults playing too which is great. The snow has interrupted our repetative threadmill life styles and given us all an opportunity to be spontaneous and live in the moment.
Sometimes we are so concerned about our futures we have forgotten how to live in the present. Simply enjoy what is happening now not because it fits into some “plan” for future wellbeing but because in the higher truth of things the only time we have to live is NOW!
Seize these spontaneous opportunities in your life this week because they are God given opportunities to feel fully alive! Also you never know what could come out of it. Within a couple of minutes of the above radio interview I had a call for more bagpiping business!
Gather Ye Rose buds while ye may …
Sean M Kelly, Musician, Author, Inspirational Speaker/Trainer
www.Bagpiper.ie
PS: Want a unique and inspirational gift for someone? “A Pipers Tales – Celtic Wisdom to Nourish the Soul” is currently on sale on Amazon SAVE 50% – just click the photo below and you can have it by Christmas:
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PSS: A final message from Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Great interview aswell Sean. Some lightness in these gloomy times..
Cheers Ailish, thanks for your comment and taking the time!
Carpe Diem!
Sean
Good stuff Sean! That’s what you call taking the bull by the horns, I suppose, on two fronts!! Maith thu!
Well done Sean,
Enjoy the NOW – it wont come again.
Great to hear from you Roibeard and thanks for taking the time to comment. Yes sometimes we got to take the bull by the horns! Go raibh agat!
Cheers Dorothy! Hope all is well with you.
Listened to the interview Sean – hilarious!!! He gave you so much time plus giving out the email address was brilliant!
Well done and yes nothing like spontaneous opportunities!!
Cheers Sheenagh, much appreciated!
Great job on the interview, Sean! Wonderful example of Carpe Diem… I’m Inspired! And congratulations on ‘seizing’ more work, too. Good for you!