A Celebration of Life gives us glimpses into a person’s life. The words said at a funeral reveal the impact a person made. At my father’s services, I heard a few words repeated often, especially the word kind.
My father had raised me with the phrase, “There is never too much kindness in the world.” People who worked with him years before he retired, family, neighbors, and others came up to express their gratitude for his kindness that made their lives brighter.
When his brother died, an obituary was written for Alfred Nobel by mistake. He felt ashamed when he it. One statement that declared he became rich by finding ways to kill people faster than ever before, because he invented dynamite, profoundly upset him. It caused him to work at creating a different legacy. He established five prizes to honor the people who did the most to benefit mankind, which we now call the Nobel Prizes.
Consider what memories you would want people to share when your friends and family gather to celebrate your legacy. Perhaps you need to change your direction and find ways to love others.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Tom Merton
