One effect of the Coronavirus is that it’s made lots of us more aware of our own mortality. Of the fragility of Life. None of us know for how long we’ll live. And that led me to an interesting thought. Because just imagine if we were all able to quietly gate crash our own funeral services. What would people say about us? What would we be remembered for? And for what would we want to be remembered? What would be our lasting legacy?
A very famous legacy was left by the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, as he lay dying on a hospital bed, back in 2011. He spent many long nights, looking at the lights and hearing the hum of the life support machines connected to him. He had time to reflect on his life. And he was able to leave a very powerful lasting message, not only for his own family, but a message to the entire world.
Photo: Wikipedia
Steve Jobs had become a billionaire. He’d been at the pinnacle of success in the human business world. One of the great American corporate success stories. But at the age of 56, he was struck down with pancreatic cancer. And he reflected that:
“True inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world………God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth.”
“The wealth I have won in my life I cannot bring with me. What I can bring is only the memories precipitated by love……Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well. Cherish others.”
Now, I may be a simple parrot. I’m currently 20 years old, and I’m supposed to get to at least 40. But when I finally fall off my perch for the very last time, I don’t want to be remembered simply as “the parrot that had a weekly blog, read in over 40 countries around the world”. No, I want to be remembered for giving out love. Love towards humanity. Love towards other parrots and creation. And love towards God. Because Love will always be the most precious thing we will ever know and share during our living years. The singer, Lionel Richie put this beautifully when he said:
“I think the whole world is dying to hear someone say ‘I love you.’ I think that if I can leave the legacy of love…in the world, then I’ve done my job…..”
Amen!
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs……….three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1Corinthians 13:4-6 and 13).