What Will They Remember?

Yesterday marked the 7-year anniversary of my brother's death. I woke up early in the morning with him on my mind. Later on, Abby and I had to take care of a few errands and the song "Seven Bridges Road" by the Eagles came on the radio. I told Abby that it made me think of Kevin because I'd heard him play it on his guitar many times. He was a big Eagles' fan, and because of him, I am, too. So, as we were driving along, I sang it out loud in his memory...my brother and dear friend. When the song ended, I mumbled, "I love ya, Kev."...and I believe he was listening. Seven years have gone by in a flash. Early on, the pain of losing him was almost unbearable. Now, I've reached that point where thinking of him makes me smile and laugh, and I'm able to talk about his silly ways and his heart of gold without breaking down in a heap of tears. That's the way grief AND healing work. It takes time and plenty of faith.

This whole concept of life and loss makes me think about A LOT of things. I don't intend to sound morbid, but I can't help but wonder what people will say about me when I'm nothing but a memory. I certainly don't expect an outpouring like Michael Jackson has received! After all, I'm just an ordinary person whose name will never be illuminated by marquis lights. I've never discovered the cure for anything. My grandest invention? I don't think I even have one. I've never written my first novel, unless all of my journals count for something. I'm definitely not known for my dancing skills, though I can do a mean robot (in my mind, anyway!).

So, all of this leaves me scratching my head and asking,...Will I be remembered for some of the crazy antics I pulled just to get a laugh? Will people say that I was a good human being who truly cared about others? Will they see the desires of my heart to be a loving wife, mother, sister, friend, and Christian? Will they understand that I cared nothing about perfection, but only tried hard to do my best and to learn something from every situation I was faced with? Have YOU ever given it much thought? What do you want people to remember about you when you're long gone?

“Sometimes, no matter how much faith we have, we lose people. But, you never forget them.
It's those memories that give us the faith to go on."~Author Unknown