The truth is . . .

 

Today is the anniversary of my dad's death. He died back in 1967 of a heart attack on my grandma's birthday (his mother-in-law). I was less than a month away from turning nine. He was 38.

Death strikes everyone differently, and memories vary depending on age and circumstances.

I knew he died young, but now that I am past the age of his death, I can really appreciate just how young he was. Now that I think about it, he was just a few years older than Jesus was when he died.

Whenever one's earthly existence ends, it leaves a hole. I often ponder how some people make such a huge impact, like St. Teresa of Calcutta, and others leave behind memories for their immediate family, rather than the entire world.

But when I think about it, as in my dad's case, their children and their children's children become their quiet legacy. So you could say they do, in fact, make a huge impact on the world for generations to come.

The truth is, it really doesn't matter if you are a world renown saint, a young father of four, or are without children, you still impact the world. You can't go through life and not make some difference.

It really isn't about the splash we make in this world or the notoriety we gain that we should be most concerned about. In the end, all we really need to do is leave a legacy of love and forgiveness, hope and faith.

The challenge, of course, is putting all of these into action. It's nice to talk about love, but unless it is concretized in our actions, it's just a nice idea.

How well do we take care of the poor, the lonely and the suffering? How do I treat those who are unkind, mean, or just plain unfriendly?

As I am thinking about my dad today, why don't we address a need we see around us right now, in honor of those who have gone before us?

Go ahead, dare to make the world a better place today. Love somebody.

Janet Cassidy

BLOG: janetcassidy.com
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