What you leave behind...

I have a dear friend of mine that passed away this week. I by far wasn't the only friend that he left behind. There were A LOT of us. I have thought a lot about the stories of Ted that I could tell and thought about how many years that I have known him and how many smiles he has given me over those years.
That made me think a lot about when I leave this world and I have wondered about the legacy that I will leave behind. I don't think that we realize just how important it is that we live our lives in a way that will testify to what kind of person that we were when we walked on this earth. It is entirely up to us as to what impression of ourselves we leave on others.
Whether it is a smile that you gave a stranger, a laugh that you gave a friend or support that you gave a loved one. I want to know that when I leave that people will look back on my life and say that they were blessed to have known me. I want to know that when my children look back on their lives with me that they see that I was independent but yet knew when to ask for help. That I was strong but yet not afraid to show when I was weak. I want them to remember my laughter but also to remember my tears - as the sadness made me as much as a person as the joys that I had in my life have. But most of all I want my children to be inspired to be not only a good parent but also the best person that they can be. I want them to know that no matter what mistakes you make in life - what is important is what you have done to correct those mistakes or at least make up for them.
It doesn't matter how small the gesture that we make - it will almost always leave an impression on someone in their life. Whether it's holding open a door for someone that needs help. Whether it's lending a shoulder to a friend who needs someone to lean on or reaching out your hand to help pull someone up that has fallen on hard times. But it can also mean giving someone that part of you that makes them smile and gives them a wonderful memory to always keep with them when they think of you. Be the kind of person that has spent your life making memories and not excuses.
Thank you Ted for all the wonderful memories that you gave me. Each time that your name is mentioned I will have a smile on my face as I remember you.