Last night watching the Tony Awards on television the “memorial section” came up flashing all the photos of those in the theater who passed on in the last year. I turned to my husband and asked, “Who will remember me when I am gone?”
I don’t mean to be maudlin but June 8 would have been my father’s 85th birthday and Father’s Day is around the corner. I remember my father this week for his wise and helpful guidance through my business, his devotion to my mother and me, his loyalty to country and community and for his tenderness when I needed a shoulder to lean on.
How people are remembered when they pass on has been in my head because I seem to be writing a number of sympathy cards to friends who have lost their parents. In a recent trip home to Chattanooga my quite healthy and active mother assured me every thing was under control when it was her time, even down to the Lavender Love inscribed on her tombstone and where she’s hidden everything in the house.
I guess I’ve been too busy living to think about my after life. Frankly it doesn’t matter. I have no children to leave anything to and whatever I have left isn’t coming with me. I’ll be a photo on a wall and a piece of paper in a legal file. My legacy is based on what I am doing for others and for myself in my current life. I don’t think people will remember me when I’m gone. And I won’t be around to remind them!
A new widow writes a heartfelt letter about losing her husband suddenly. You realize that life can change in an instant. There’s no sense in putting off, giving up or being too busy. Make time for family and friends. Act on your dreams. Push away regrets. Live with pleasure and purpose.
I’d rather live a full life for a shorter amount of time than a wasted life for many years. And I’d rather be young at heart at 80 than an old soul at 25. #fearlessfabulousyou
