DION CULTURE -- COPACETIC

Here it is, straight from the mouth of EFR Dion's grandson.  We were talking together the other day and we were mentioning the Dion culture.  The conversation was about five minutes old when he threw out the defining word, the core word, "copacetic."  When he said it I knew that he had hit on it.  I knew that the osmosis had worked.  My eldest son, one of the youngest people in his generation of Dions, there is but one younger, my second son, knew his culture.  Now every family is a meld of two cultures.  Dions are a mix of the Franco American and my part of the Dion clan is a mix of Filipino American.  They are what we lovingly call Hapa-Pinoy.  
Dions always seek the copacetic.  Dions always seek smooth interpersonal relationships.  Dions always seek to bring comfort and pleasure to those around them.  One of the greatest pieces of advice I ever got came from a Dion.  He was at the center of my life when I was in the process of changing careers.  I was wailing about the people in the environment that I was leaving.  I wasn't very deep into my rant when he interrupted me and said, "All the people in that community had a common goal, including you.  You're not leaving because of them and their behavior.  You're leaving because you are not comfortable with the environment and you don't want to behave in a way that is copacetic with that environment."  I will never forget that.  The nine years of added  life and the requirements of conjugal community life that this uncle of mine had, gave me a nugget of wisdom that I would never forget.  It took me back to the family gatherings where everything was built around "copacetic."  Some of these gatherings were attended by people from the real French speaking half of my culture.  That didn't matter.  Everyone had a good time because when things are "copacetic" happiness and joy rule.  
This philosophy is not always easy on the system.  There are times when life is not copacetic.  There are times when copacetic does not rule...for a while.  But, in the end, it seems as though copacetic is a good guide.  It's something that I know that I will take to the grave.  That's why I'll be smiling all the time and convincing you that it is not copacetic to cry at my funeral.
AMEN!