Hi everyone. Welcome to Thanks for being here, a short weekly pod to remind us of the many

essential and beautiful ways we affect one another. Every Sunday, I'll read a submission from a

listener of Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Could be wedding vows or a bat mitzvah toast, a eulogy, or

retirement speech. We believe this is probably the loveliest way to tap into our better

selves and remember our highest values. We encourage you to share this podcast each week with one

person you love. Maybe someone you miss and need to bring closer, someone you want to feel

your appreciation or admiration or both.

This is thanks for being here.

This week's thanks for being here comes from an old special friend named Karen Mulvaney.

In her email, she points out that showing up was a hallmark and the central character trait of her dad's. Here is Karen Mulvaney's eulogy for her dad. People have

always said my dad was the life of the party and that he had the ability to make everyone feel good.

And that was true. My dad was robust and funny.

He shared great stories of his childhood, of his service in the war, college years and football.

He loved music and parties. My dad was the president of fun. It was easy to know when he was around

because of his booming voice, which when we were little, and if

things weren't going well, would thunder. I'm going to cloud up and rain all over you, which

stunned us three kids into complete silence and awe. My mother loved to tell the story of the

moment our dad asked her to marry him. They were standing in a Massachusetts cornfield on a bright

sunny day. When she said yes, dad was so overcome with joy, he did cartwheels down the side of the road.

I loved hearing her tell that story, especially because of the way my dad looked at her when she did.

On family ski trips to Vermont, my father loved to wake us by

taking all the kitchen pots and pans from the cupboards and banging them together. He got

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