Recently there have been a few people in my life that have passed away, or someone close to me has had someone in their life pass away.
One of the struggles for me when this happens is wondering what I should say or do.
Then it’s time for the visitation and funeral.
The visitation is a time to comfort and share the loss with those who have lost.
The funeral is a time to remember the life that has been lost.
I find these times awkward. I’m not sure what to do, what to say, how to dress, how long to stay, or what emotions I should be feeling.
In short, I am uncomfortable.
So in one of my recent experiences, there I was sitting in a room, while the visitation was going on and wondering why I am feeling the way I am, so this is what I came up with….
You Feel the Loss
When we are sad because of death we are actually sad for those that have lost. There is now a void in their lives.
We are sad for the life that could have been. This is especially true when the person that has died is young.
Some Day That Will Be Me
Funerals bring up emotions and feelings because we are faced with our own mortality.
Some day we will die. This reality should make us evaluate our priorities, motives and the decisions we make. (Tweet this!)
One day, there will be people sitting at our funeral feeling just as awkward.
Going to a funeral is sad, and it is also a check point. If you work through the mourning, accept the grieving and resist the resistance, you can ask yourself this:
1. Am I being who I want to be remembered as?
2. What legacy am I leaving behind?
Everyone will say nice things about you at your funeral. Even if you weren’t really a nice guy. What really counts is the legacy we leave after our funeral.
What will you invest in others that will carry on in their lives well after you are gone?
Your children will carry your legacy, what you invested into your employees or those that volunteered to work with you will continue on.
Those you love need your time and attention.
Every day we have a chance to live life to the fullest, to enjoy our time here on earth and make it count!
We should love those we spend time with and spend time investing in those we love.
We can only invest this moment. We are only guaranteed the moment we are currently in. The sum total of those moments will define your legacy.
How will you invest in others to build a legacy that will outlive your life?
