P.S. Just because I called my brother-in-law the "family genius" does not mean I'm belittling anyone else's intelligence. We are all very intelligent. It's just that when Jeff speaks (or writes) I have to listen (or read) with a special bit of attention because of all the five-dollar words he uses. The great thing about his use of big words though is that he actually uses them correctly, unlike some people (NOT in my family!) who use big words incorrectly.
Anyway. That's all. In seeking not to offend anyone from my family, I have probably now offended the other 5.99 billion people on this planet.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Epitaph
My brother-in-law (the family genius) posed these questions on his blog:
Have you thought:
What you want to be remembered for?
Who you want to be remembered by?
What will be remembered about you 50 years from now - that is, what really counts?
I started considering those questions seriously when both of my parents passed away. As their only child with no offspring (cats don't count!), I got a very real look at my own mortality as I sat at their respective funerals surrounded by family. I felt very alone as I considered death, my own, that is. All of my siblings have children (and most have grandchildren) who will attend their funerals and extoll their virtues and sing their praises.
Who will attend mine? If I don't have children, who will remember me? and for what?
Yes, those questions hit me hard at that time, and it's a good thing because it means I get to make sure that the things I do in my life and with my life are for me -- not in a selfish way, but in that way that's good for me to make sure I do make something worthwhile out of my life.
A lighter post coming up, I promise!
Have you thought:
What you want to be remembered for?
Who you want to be remembered by?
What will be remembered about you 50 years from now - that is, what really counts?
I started considering those questions seriously when both of my parents passed away. As their only child with no offspring (cats don't count!), I got a very real look at my own mortality as I sat at their respective funerals surrounded by family. I felt very alone as I considered death, my own, that is. All of my siblings have children (and most have grandchildren) who will attend their funerals and extoll their virtues and sing their praises.
Who will attend mine? If I don't have children, who will remember me? and for what?
Yes, those questions hit me hard at that time, and it's a good thing because it means I get to make sure that the things I do in my life and with my life are for me -- not in a selfish way, but in that way that's good for me to make sure I do make something worthwhile out of my life.
A lighter post coming up, I promise!
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