when a letter was discovered after his mother, Nan, had died. She had written
it at a time when death was not imminent, and wrote on the envelope: “In case
something happens to me.”
Jim read this very touching letter, to smiles and tears throughout the
Duncan Center. Its very personal, loving message said in part:
“Should something happen to me, I do not want you to grieve – we have
so much to be thankful for, so many happy memories, so much more than our
share. The Lord has been good to us, and He will help you now. Look forward
– there is still so much to be done. . . . Please forgive a very sentimental mother
for having to write this, but love must overflow into words, inadequate as they
are. Grow strong, stay friends, love one another. God be gracious unto you and
bless you.”
How thoughtful and caring she was to anticipate their loss and to leave
such a lasting and loving “legacy” for them.
As we do our responsible estate planning to make sure that our loved ones
are properly taken care of, let’s pay some attention as well to our spiritual wills
– the love and lessons we also leave behind.
Our character is the only thing we take with us from this world. It is also
the only important thing we leave behind.
(BMH)
“no man is an island”
We live in a culture of extreme individualism, manifested in various ways,
including the “in your face” manner in which people often speak and dress
and behave in public. The widely publicized crude behavior of a number of
young celebrities illustrates the point.
Independent thought and self-reliance are good, but a complete lack of
regard for public opinion and the feelings of others is not.
It is often said that what a person does is nobody else’s business as long
as it isn’t harming anyone else. But what’s missing from this picture is that
we’re all tied together in the fabric of society, consisting of interwoven uses. We
aren’t solitary creatures, but social, and no one finds real happiness in isolation
from others.
There is truth to the old saying about one rotten apple spoiling the whole
barrel. The spiritual condition of each individual has an effect on the whole
community.
Externally enforced collectivism, or conformity compelled by “political
correctness,” are not the answer. What is needed is fo "