The secret lives of rocks

One of my favorite verses in the bible has to do with a rock, a man and the Glory of God passing by.

This rock is by far less impressive in terms of size as there is no room for a man to be placed in or on it, yet he was.

This is a memorial marker for a man I didn’t always agree with, understand or even like. Most kids have some sort of disdain for the authority in their life, and I was no exception. I have some fond memories of Pop and I  have some less than fine…alas in the end, I  suppose he did what he thought best and gave generously of his money if not always of his time, a tendency I find in myself and am not sure how to fully rectify.

Something else I find myself thinking about is the last line on Pop’s rock. “Your time here was not in vain”. I don’t know that my time here is not in vain, meaning, I know I have friends and they say I have made a difference in their lives, I know they have certainly made a difference in mine.  In this particular instance though, I am not speaking of friends, I am thinking about the bigger picture.

The whole thought of leaving a legacy. My father’s legacy is not impressive in the sense that he did not leave a large sum of money anywhere, nor did he write books or the like. Yet, like countless before him, he left the world a richer place by leaving four children in his wake who all contribute something of value to the world at large. His oldest, fine tunes literary works thru the fine art of editing books that will be read and talked about in ways we can only imagine. The next in line works for a manufacturing facility inspecting the welds on ladders, large industrial pumps and other objects used to help others live better lives. Next comes boy wonder, a budding real estate mogul and the only one of the four of us to have children of his own. Actually, boy wonder’s day job is at Dell Computers – the place that provides every other work place their computers. Last but not least, we have me. What’s my contribution? When I figure it out, I will let you know. In the interim, I would suggest living today as if it was your last and despite how often it seems to be repeated, LOVE the one’s who are with you here and now. I made some mistakes with Pop in his care and not loving him the way I could have, where he was at while he was here.

I am trying not to make the same mistakes while I have my mother, but there too, the challenges of grief, mixed with love and other emotions sometimes makes loving the ones you have difficult – but not impossible.

My challenge to you all five of my readers, make it a habit to study those around you, know their favorite colors, what they like in terms of food, their personal style. Love does not have to be expensive, just genuine, a lesson I am still learning.