We human beings are so temporary, so fragile, so transitory in this life. In the past few years, at my age, I've known too many who've died.
Today, I think of my stepfather who married my mother 46 years ago. I sit in his house and see the things he's left behind; things that evoke memories of other times and things that had meaning to him. I see objects that represent his interests and his values.
I have to wonder, like the song, "Is that all there is?"
No, these things cannot be all there is to stand as testament to a life that spanned seventy-one years. If nothing else, they are even more transitory; these things will have to be given their own final resting place. My own widowhood has taught me that you must eventually dispose of them or they become like an extra set of clothes worn over your own.
A very few people will leave a large mark on the world when they leave. Heroes and statesmen; the famous and infamous, may be recorded as having an impact. For most of us, however, our legacy will be the lives we touch daily and directly. Our value will be to the people we encounter, the ways in which we change their lives and the memories we leave behind .
(Note: my stepfather gave us many wonderful good times, took very good care of my mother and left her financially independent. He served his country for 20+ years; had many, many hobbies; and, unknown to most, wrote some pretty good poetry.)
2006
