To Do Good

This week I was touched by the death of two people, both passing too early by normal standards.  I knew neither but still I was moved by their passing.  The first was my neighbor who lived in the apartment over the garage in the house behind me.  She was twenty-six years old.  She was killed in an automobile accident Friday night on I 75 between Atlanta and Chattanooga.  I travel that route almost weekly and can picture where the accident happened.  What I have more trouble picturing is her parents facing each day without their only child. All day Saturday cars arrived and sitting on my back porch drinking my coffee I watched as each greeted the other with tears.  I knew in my heart someone had died but did not know who. But kept watching for the daughter and she was not among the ones mourning.  Her life cut short in the blink of an eye.

Then the mother of one of my Girl Scouts posted that she lost her father.  I did not know him either, but I know his daughter and granddaughter well.  He was only fifty-four years old and died peacefully in a chair on his back porch after closing his eyes to rest.  He was just given a good health report at a recent check-up.  It doesn’t matter that she has brothers and a sister to share this loss, the pain is still there and when we talked she said she was “hanging in there.” I can say with all honesty I do know how she feels having lost my mother who died in her sleep.

But none of us walks in the exact same steps as the other.  The best gift we can give those touched by such tragedy is our presence and compassion.  The lesson for me is to remind myself that life is short and we never know how quickly it can change.  As hard as it sounds, we are called to live each day as if it were our first day and last day. 

 
As Leo Tolstoy writes in his story the "Three Questions" – “Remember then: there is only one time that is important-- Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power. The most necessary man is he with whom you are, for no man knows whether he will ever have dealings with anyone else: and the most important affair is, to do him good, because for that purpose alone was man sent into this life!"