Every once in awhile, something happens to remind me that my life isn't that bad, and that I should just shut up and quit complaining. Today was one of those days.
I write feature obits for the Post Gazette's North edition. This morning, I had the pleasure of writing one on a lady from the Karns City area who died at age 49. While it's awful to have a life ended so young, this woman taught me a few lessons, even after her death. She was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She was told she had less than a year to live. So what did she do? Cry, sulk, get mad or lock herself in her house? Nope. She spent time cherishing the moments she had left, telling all of her friends and family how very much she loved them, taking the time to write each of them a personalized letter about just what they meant to her. The more I learned about this woman, the more terrible I felt about myself. She truly was the type of person to put everyone before herself, a true image of what being Christlike means. Here was someone who really had a reason to be glum, but she chose to spend her last days looking on the sunny side, appreciating what she had, counting her blessings and thinking about everyone but herself. I may not have known her, but she has made an impact on my life today. Hopefully, the lesson I've learned from her will stick in my brain, and I won't need someone to kick me in the pants to remind me.
No comments:
Post a Comment