Impact Affects Remembrance

      I'm closer to 60 years old than I am to 50. Lately due to some very sad circumstances in our community, I've been thinking about what happens when we're gone. Also, I just finished a text conversation with my son that sparked thoughts about one's impact on another person's life. This is a difficult blog to write. 

     I suppose the connection is... One's impact affects one's remembrance. That is to say, you're only as good as the other person's last memory, EXCLUDING CLOSE FAMILY.

     These deep thoughts began awhile back for me when certain people who we knew passed away. There's absolutely no question these were terrible, tremendously sad days for those families. Those parents, grandparents, husbands and wives, siblings and etc will never, ever forget their loved ones because they have mountains of good, bad and ugly memories to recall.

     But what about casual friends, acquaintances and even divided families? Today's text conversation with my son drove that point home for me. That is...What do I remember about the people who I knew are gone and what will the people who knew me remember when I'm gone, even the children? Of course, life MUST go on, but does it have to go on so quickly for those who aren't directly impacted by the death.... Those who have only a Post-it note of memories, good or bad? 

     I was in the grocery store today. I saw someone we know who recently lost a child. , They were  shopping, but no one around them knew their grief. Teresa lost her dear, dear father. She soldiered on, but no else stopped their day. I wonder what those who've gone, looking down from above, are saying. Are they saying: "Dang, no body besides my family misses me. Heck, some of my family doesn't even miss me." Or are they saying, "Thank you for loving me so much and missing me so much. I love and miss you too. I'll see you in time." We move on.

     I guess the $64,000 question is... How do you or I want to be remembered. My son's text conversation today showed me he didn't remember some of my sweetest memories of him. I'll give him a pass because he was young. 

     One's Impact affects one's remembrance whether casual friend, acquaintance or divided family member. Does time change impact?

Bill Robertson (10/13/21,) Hurry up time!