Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Final Thoughts Month of June: Blog 2- Letters from Mom & Mimi

Dear Ellie,

You just had your last day of school ceremony and it made me think.

Final Thoughts: Tis the season for graduation speeches… if I were to give a commencement address, here is my advice to seniors (your brother Kyle was my inspiration for this one, especially since the 6th recipient was awarded his scholarship just last week).

No one likes to think about death.  But for a moment, imagine your own obituary.  What do you want it to say?  Great humanitarian?  Master engineer?  Loyal friend?  Devoted parent?  Thoughtful neighbor?  Talented musician?  Brilliant doctor?  Spiritual advisor?  

Is the path that you are on right now going to make these words a reality?  What will your obituary say if you died tomorrow?  Be careful- laziness, selfishness, and jealousy often hold people back from their ultimate potential. 

At this moment, take five deep breaths and look into your heart.  What is it filled with?  Is it filled with passion, kindness, love, and faith?  And if it’s not, a good place to start is by asking yourself what gifts did God give you for you to share (know that everyone has at least one gift).

Then, shine that light on others.    

Don’t ask what people can do for you, but rather ask how you can help others.  How will you change the world?  Who will you impact?  What value will you bring to those around you?

Make a positive legacy for yourself.  When you are long gone, how (not if) will your name and reputation be remembered?  Start today.  There is no life that is too short to leave an impact.

For me, I don’t need a tombstone.  I want my ashes to be scattered in a breeze over a happy place that I cherished.  I don’t need an obituary.  But at the memorial celebration of my life, I want people to talk about how I loved family- both my own and those that I work with.  This is my goal- to continue to be a better wife, mother, and teacher.  

Love you Ellie and I can’t wait to see what you do with your life (my frog-loving, tomboy),
Mom


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