Choose How You’ll Be Remembered

This post covers some deep and possibly painful subjects… It isn’t meant to be morbid or depressing, but instead to open your eyes to what you can one day leave behind.

How do you want your loved ones to remember your last interaction with them after you are gone? Also, consider what if your wife, husband, son or daughter didn’t make it after a car accident and their last thought was of your last communication? What would you want them to be thinking?
Most of us leave home every day. We go to work. We go to the grocery. We go out to eat and to see movies.

Sometimes things happen beyond our control. Statistics tell us that most car accidents happen near home. We don’t like to think much about what could happen and that’s a good thing for emotional well being. But every now and again its a good idea to consider our mortality. Otherwise we don’t do rational things like buy life insurance.

Today, I recommend spending a few minutes to consider what if one of those dreadful incidents happened. How would you want your love ones to remember your last interaction?

People fear flying in airplanes, when statistically your odds of being killed in a car are 37 times greater. A full 52% of all automobile deaths occur on rural, non-interstate roads (read close to home).

That’s why I suggest every time you leave your house you smile and tell the important people in your life how much you care for them. Leave a lasting impression in case you don’t get another chance.

Imagine for a second if you didn’t take this advice. Suppose you left angry or said something hurtful and slammed the door and you never returned? What a burden you have left with the people you love. For the foreseeable future they’ll feel guilt. They may even blame themselves for your death.
Anger is fleeting. But final memories are forever. Each time you part company is a risk. Yes, it’s a small risk, but I’m asking you to take a small action as insurance. Part company with a smile and a kind word, every time someone leaves. It’s as important as a safety belt as far as I’m concerned.

And while we are on the subject, what have you done today, yesterday and last week to let the important people in your life know you care? Today could be your last chance.

You may remember last year my father drove down to North Carolina for a visit with his kids and grand kids. We had a great visit full of jokes, smiles and laughter.

Unfortunately, four days later, he died.

And even though I am tearing up pretty bad as I write this, I still feel such a sense of gratitude for that week. We all do. What a blessing to have that last time to express joy and our love for one another before we said goodbye.

I guess I’m writing this because I know how easily it could have gone the other way. A petty family dispute would have left us feeling empty instead of thankful.

So the point is, it’s a small gesture to tell people how much you care before you travel; whether to another state or right up the street to the grocery. But what a difference it makes if the unfortunate happens.

Ultimately, you only have one chance to make a last impression…