This morning I read an article by Arianna Huffington entitled Are You Living Your Eulogy or Your Resume? She begins by reflecting on President Obama’s remarks at the Memorial Service for those who were killed in the shooting at the Washington Naval Yard and how the President remembered those who were lost. She goes on to say, “Have you noticed that when people die, their eulogies celebrate life very differently from the way we define success in our everyday existence?”
The question is an important one.
While I think most of us want to do our jobs well and to be respected for the work we do, who we are and what is most important is found someplace other than Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00. It is found in the relationships we form and the values which shape our character. It is found in the small things, that over time add up to be the big things. Tutoring. Coaching. Visiting an elderly neighbor. Being generous. Being a friend. Treating others with respect. Being conscientious.
Years ago I saw a bumper sticker that read: Live so the preacher won’t have to lie at your funeral. Good advice. When everyone comes back from the cemetery except you, what do you want those who gathered to remember and to say about you?
Live that way today.