At a funeral service the priest invited those that wanted to share a story, or a memory, up to the podium. Individuals stepped up to speak of a memory they had of the deceased, sharing how his presence and his choices affected them. In some instances, the deceased didn’t even know what an impact he had on some of those peoples lives. After the stories are shared the priest said, “Now take a moment and think about how you will be remembered.”

Who would pose such a question to contemplate? Those sitting in the church went into deep thought, analyzing their self.

 Over time the comment the priest made kept coming to the mind of one of the attendees, ‘How will I be remembered?’

While discussing some issues at the office with her employee, the employee asked if she could speak to her personally. Out of the blue the employee shares a story with her.

“I was asked at bible study to write down the name of an individual who reminded me of the word, Integrity. So I jotted the name down. A few weeks later I was asked again to write down who I would most like to be like. The same name came to mind, You!”

 Through compassion and appreciation she felt compelled to share more with her boss, “I feel like you took me under your wing helping me to develop my career and providing me with friendship and understanding.”

 In astonishment, the boss responded with, “Thank you! I think of you like a little sister. You inspire me.”

Both ladies ended up in tears of gratitude.

The moral of the story, don’t wait until a funeral service to tell those who make a difference in your life how important they are to you. Show your appreciation to the individual now, not his/her family and friends. Don’t let anyone that makes a positive impact on your life ever ask themselves the question, “How will I be remembered?”

D.L. Carroll