When Loved Ones Die...

[via]

Today, I am thinking about legacy. 
What would people say about me when I die?
What would people say about you when you die?
Would people who never met you smile when others talk about who you were and what you did when you walked the earth?

I am not referring to how much money you made, your occupation or how famous you were. How did you treat the people around you from family and friends to co-workers and acquaintances?

A former co-worker's husband, N, died last night after a heart attack. He was 49.
I walked into my old job today, and that was the first news I was greeted with.
I screamed, literally. :(

Last week, I went to happy hour at Elephant & Castle with another former co-worker. It was my second time there, and while we were waiting for our order, I made the comment "OMG, this was where I met N, H's husband for the first time." 



It was a comment I made in passing. I was making conversation and reminiscing on the first time I came to Elephant and Castle and the new people I met. That was the first and only time I met him. I did not know him except from what I heard of him from H and other co-workers who had been at this job for years. A week after I made that comment, N is dead.

More than two years after we met, he is gone and they had just celebrated their one year wedding anniversary. I remember how excited she was planning for their wedding. They had been together for a long time and decided to finally jump the broom. She was such a beautiful bride

Today, I gathered with my old co-workers around the office kitchen table, and we recalled the tangible things we remembered and knew about him. I had nothing to say so I listened. I listened as those who knew him better than I did talk about him: about him and his relationship with H.

As I listened, one legacy stood out; he was a wonderful husband and partner. Everyone who knew the couple well enough commented on how he treated H with love, respect and dignity. As a couple, they took care of each other and you could tell by being around them that they both LIKED and RESPECTED each other.

We are all saddened by his death, and we can confidently say he was a part of our office family, and he was a good husband and partner. 

When a loved one dies or someone we know leaves us, they always leave a form of legacy. When I die, I pray mine is good, not just good for my name, but good for others to learn from, build on and take joy from. As we go about our daily lives, I pray we make the choice to choose a lifestyle that would resonate beyond our generation. People are watching and hurting...your attitude and your choices can make a difference.

RIP N!

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!