My eldest son’s father-in-law passed away unexpectedly last week. I met him the weekend our offspring wed. The bride and groom met while attending college. Her parents resided in New York, and we lived across the country in California. We didn’t meet in person until the day before the wedding. He was a gregarious professional photographer and hopped off the plane with a camera in hand, excited to take bridal portraits of his only daughter. He traipsed around San Diego, taking stunning photos of the couple artfully posed with the eye-catching architecture at Balboa Park and the spectacular backdrop of the San Diego seaside. By the end of the wedding reception the next day, we’d become fast friends…and family. He was a fun-loving kind-hearted man and will be missed.
Life and Death. Pivotal moments in our mortal journey. The death of a friend or loved one makes me reflect on my own mortality. It makes me question my accomplishments and the mark I’ve left on this world. Was it a life well lived? Did I make a difference here on earth?
Material wealth is fleeting…you can’t take it with you. At the end of our lives, temporal success may become relatively insignificant to us in the grand scheme of things. Our relationships and reputation often increase in importance and become a higher priority when we assess the legacy we are leaving behind. We wonder what people will say about us when we are gone. I hope they say that I was kind and always willing to help a friend in need.
What would you like them to say about you?
