When Someone Dies…

January 17, 2017

Almost 7,000 people die in the US each day, but funerals still seem like rare events.  I attended a funeral last week for a wonderful man.  Since his passing I have been drawn to reflect on his achievements, how he lived his life, and what he taught those he touched. This reflection has caused me to think about my future.

I am not a believer of predestination, but I do believe in the significance of the choices we make.  We are individually molded by a collection of our life’s experiences, which include our faith, the way we were raised, and our choices.  At my friend’s funeral I witnessed the impact of someone who had lived a long and fulfilled life.  I saw his impact on his widow, his children, and his extended family.  I heard story after story of how he had made a difference in other people’s lives.

There were people who had never met the gentleman, but had been the recipient of his generosity in the form of scholarships to the needy and deserving.  There were those who had worked with this man and had learned business lessons about honor, doing the right thing, and the value of sometimes putting fairness before profit.  There were grandchildren who had been encouraged to believe that they could do anything as long as they worked hard and endured.  There was a loving wife who explained that through the decades of their marriage they had nurtured each other, each bringing their own talents to a partnership that enriched them both as a couple.

What was most striking from my reflections was the reminder of our most precious gift, and one that is sometimes taken for granted – our time.  How much time do we have left?  I often remind coworkers and clients of the paramount value of time.  We choose how to spend it, and invest in it, but we have no choice over the fact that our time is finite.  I occasionally picture myself as an old fashioned hourglass time piece, with grains of sand dropping down through the narrow passageway to the bottom.  When we were young the sand at the top seemed like it would last forever.  But as the years, days, and minutes pass, sand continues to drain slowly, but inexorably, to the bottom.

None of us know how much sand we have left to pass through our hour glass, but this past week has made me recommit to make the most of mine.  There are too many wonderful events to enjoy, too many deeds that need to be done, too many lives that we might help in our own and unique way.  There will be over 10,000 new people born in the US today.  How they live their lives will be based on many factors.  One of those factors might be you or me.  We each affect one another in ways we do not necessarily see or realize as the sand continues to fall slowly through our hourglasses.

Carl Gambrell