The funeral services for John McCain presented the opportunity to praise a great American and to tell the story of what he stood for and advocated.It is sad he died while he was still an active member of the U.S. Senate — and was still a force when it came to expressing his views based on many years of service in Congress and his real life experiences.His military service added to his wisdom when it came to dealing with foreign countries.Axios, an internet source, said the eulogies at the Washington Cathedral “reflected a broader dream that the United States is still capable of saner politics.” Walter Isaacson, author of many books, said we were “reminded by his funeral that we have been, and could again be, a nation based on values like honor, truth-telling, service, humility, respect, and kindness. That was the last gift McCain gave us.”As to having two former presidents, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, speak at his funeral, Obama said, “It showed his irreverence — his sense of humor, a little bit of a mischievous streak. What better way to get a last laugh to make George and I say nice things about him to a national audience.” Bush called McCain “a man with a code. John’s voice will always come as a whisper over our shoulder: We are better than this. America is better than this.”A remark that drew applause was when Meghan McCain, McCain’s daughter, said: “The America of John McCain has no need to be made great again because America was always great.”Some of the words said at the funeral service referred to President Donald Trump and his political verbage and ramblings.McCain liked to remind his audiences, especially young people, that there are causes “larger than ourselves.”Sen. McCain had a discipline in his words and he could see the big picture that tells the story of America and its people. There was hope in his words that were as patriotic as they were optimistic. His time as a POW, and the inhumane treatment he suffered, spelled courage. He once was asked what he wanted on his tombstone. His reply: “He served his country.”We’ve lost a good American who recognized causes that were bigger than himself, and other individuals. The example he set was as American as any person in our history ever demonstrated.