“Have a Good Life”

Cindy and I have been watching our Cheers DVDs lately to get into a lighthearted mood. An episode we watched a few days ago is not so lighthearted but remains my favorite season ending episode of all time. At the end of season five Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) leaves to work on a book, even though she is engaged to Sam Malone (Ted Danson).

A good part of the episode features Sam daydreaming about he and Diane growing old together, something he doubts will happen once Diane leaves to write her book. As she leaves the bar and is out of earshot the season closes with Sam saying: “Have a good life.”

I feel like Sam did these days. For years I have had images of Cindy and me with our grandkids. I imagined her reading Dr. Seuss to them as I listened; or me reading the Wizard of Oz as she listened. I imagined as well the two of us celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary, just as my parents once celebrated theirs. Now those images are like Sam’s daydreams, wishful thinking for something that will not happen.

I know the time will come when I will be in Sam’s position. I will watch as Cindy figuratively “leaves the bar” and “ascends those final stairs,” wishing with all my heart as she goes that she will “Have a good (after)life.”