At the request of a great many moviegoers, Mike has shared the reading from his mother Elaine’s memorial. The reading is a combination of a number of unattributed eulogies.
Death, like birth, is only a transformation, another birth
When we die we shall change our state, that is all
And with faith in god it is as easy and natural as going to sleep here and waking up there
You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left
Your heart can be empty because you cannot see her
Or you can be full of the love that she shared
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow, because of yesterday
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she would want, smile, open your eyes, love and go on
Remember what the caterpillar perceives as the end
The butterfly sees only the beginning