Uncle Walter Johnson, the last of a generation in our family passed away on December 4, 2009. His wife Betty passed away earlier, peacefully and at home, something that Uncle Walter fought hard to have for her. His memorial service was held at Pearson Point in Washington state on the 11th of December, 2009 at the original church built by his ancestor. His grandson Mark, quoted this poem which was one of Uncle Walter’s favorites at the service. I am posting it here in memory of our great Uncle Walter. It sure is a big IF and mighty difficult, but well worth aspiring to.

If by Rudyard Kipling:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!

Walter and Betty at Mikko’s birthday, Thanksgiving 2008:

Pearson Church where Uncle Walter’s memorial was held.

View of the sound around Pearson Point.