A little background, for a living my Dad was a candy and Old Dutch potato chip salesman for over 30 years. I grew up in Watertown, South Dakota and he would go around to the small communities and deliver to the grocery stores, bars, gas stations, etc.
Be prompt – he always left for work at 6:50 am
Hustle – going on the route, one would find themselves basically running to keep up with him. While we took time to laugh and joke, the primary focus was to go into the business and get the job done.
Take time to play – golfing, piddling around in his workshop, fixing and repairing items, taking time with friends like Shorty Landon, Lee Christensen and many others.
Always keep your word – when you make the decision to commit to doing something, make sure you are able to follow through. Don’t make your decisions lightly.
I didn’t realize until recently how I incorporated so many of the lessons into my day to day life. Keeping my word is something I take very seriously. When I give someone my word, it is the equivalent to gold. When I was an administrative assistant, I would tell someone that I would get the project done and they came back to check on me to make sure I was getting it done, it used to really irritate me. I didn’t realize at the time what was going on, but now I do. When they were checking up on me I felt like they didn’t believe me. What has been difficult is that not everyone has this same standard and that too has been a learning curve.
During the visitation time, many people came to pay their respects. What I came away with afterwards was that my Dad, while not perfect and was very human, he made an impact on many, many people. His legacy of joking, laughter and creativity will be shared for generations to come.
My relationship with him in human form has ended, we now begin a relationship with me in human and he in Spirit. I am so looking forward to how we deepen our understanding of each other and how he will help me in my day to day life having this human experience!
Do you ever wonder what you are doing here on earth? Is there a purpose to all this or just random happenings? Take a moment in your reflection to think of the number of people you have interacted with in your lifetime to date. Imagine the impact you made on each person, even the stranger you held the door open for or the person you smiled at. I believe we are here to make a difference, no matter how small, and to share love. Because in the end isn’t it all about love?
