Dedicated to my very dear friend, Lee Miller, May God Comfort You Among The Mourners of Zion and Jerusalem:

There is a different quality to a funeral of someone who dies of very old age, let’s say over ninety. I have performed and attended at least seven such funerals. Few or no contemporaries, but at least four or five generations, attended each.

The funeral I attended today was different. Dr. Sidney Miller and his wife celebrated their 71st anniversary less than two weeks ago. He passed away on Friday night at the age of 98. That is unusual, but still not what made Dr. Miller different.

He passionately loved his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even his children in-law. Also highly unusual to witness such intense two way love, but still not what made Dr. Miller different.

He grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada and became a highly successful Park Ave. doctor, universally respected and beloved by colleagues and patients. Again, unusual, but still not what made Dr. Miller’s funeral different from absolutely every other funeral I have attended, and I have attended literally close to a thousand.

Dr. Miller, at 97 years old, almost blind, and barely able to walk, would not allow his fifteen year old granddaughter to walk alone on Park Ave. He insisted on walking with her to make sure she was safe. Unusual, even funny, but still not what made Dr. Miller who he was.

He brought out the best behavior in his children and grandchildren. We should all be so loved and cared for by our offspring! But, still not what made him unique.

As everyone spoke about, actually celebrated, his wonderful life, I realized that I was participating in a once in a lifetime occurrence: It is clear that you can take a time machine to any one of Dr. Miller’s almost ten decades on this earth, and no matter where, or when, you land, you will find him at his best.

The man lived everyday of his life committed to that day being the best of him. Whether he was 15, 25, 75, 85 or even 95, his quest to be his best was always foremost in his actions, not his words, his actions.

Dr. Miller did not live more than 98 years; he lived more than 35,770 days at his absolute best. He was 97 when he broke 5 ribs and punctured his lung, and he still wanted that day to be his best ever. It isn’t that he didn’t complain; it is that he was so focused on living as best as he could, that it never occurred to him to complain.

There are people who live beautiful, magnificent, and productive lives. Dr. Miller lived beautiful, magnificent and productive days.

He was a different type of human being.

It was a different sort of funeral.

It was not the funeral of a 98-year-old man. It was the funeral of an almost 40,000-day-old man. Today I learned that there is a big difference.

Thanks Dr. Miller.

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