I subscribe to Cheryl Richardson’s weekly Life Makeover newsletter (www.cherylrichardson.com) and found her latest post very touching.
I was given permission to reprint it here:
Topic of the Week - Lessons of Loss
Yesterday Michael and I attended the memorial service of a good friend's
dad who died suddenly while helping a neighbor with a project at his home.
The service was moving and sad and inspiring all at the same time. Of
course his family and his loved ones are reeling from their unexpected
loss. As I wrote about last week, there's nothing more painful than
losing someone you love.
As difficult as a memorial service or funeral may be, there's always the
gift of being reminded of what really matters -- the connection we share
with one another. During the service I was struck by a few things.
First, there were sides of this man that some of us knew nothing about.
He was a generous soul who volunteered his time in prisons and at drug
rehab centers, he helped build homes for Habitat for Humanity, and he was
always ready to lend a hand to anyone in need. As I listened to his son
(and our friend), Jonathan, talk about his father's legacy, I thought
about my own dad. A week earlier, my parents had visited, and as I spent
time talking with my dad about the early years of his life, I was amazed
to discover things about him I never knew. I thought to myself, "There's
a deep well of experience and wisdom inside this man and I want to know
more." Imagine what you may not know about the loved ones in your life.
Jonathan's dad gave his grandchildren the greatest gift any grandparent
could give -- the gift of his time. At one point during the service,
several grandchildren got up to read pieces they had written about their
grandpa. It was heartbreaking and telling. While a couple of children
shared memories of receiving a favorite toy or being taken for an ice
cream, what mattered most was the amount of quality time their grandpa
shared with them. He took them for walks in the woods, sang songs with
them while driving in the car, and took them to the beach to search for
treasures along the shore. Not one child said that he or she would miss
the ice cream or toys. They wanted more time with him. I left thinking
about who I'd want more time with if they were suddenly gone.
I didn't know our friend Jonathan's father very well, but by the end of
the memorial service I wished I had. And that's the point. Saying
goodbye to someone is the wrong time to wish you'd spent more time with
them. "Right now" is all we have to share with one another. As much as I
hate the sorrow that comes with saying goodbye, I feel grateful for the
gift -- the reminder to spend quality time with those who matter most.
I share this gift with you today...
~*~ Take Action Challenge ~*~
Stop for a moment and think about who you'd regret not spending time with
if he or she were suddenly gone. Then, pick up the phone and set a date
to talk, to visit, or to spend some good quality time together.
Life Makeover for the Year 2008(sm) is written and produced by
Cheryl Richardson.© Copyright 1999-2008 Cheryl Richardson, P.O.
Box 13, Newburyport, MA 01950, www.cherylrichardson.com. All
rights reserved. Used with permission.
Posts
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14 years ago
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