The purpose of this mini-project is to publicly honor these individuals for their unique contributions to my life. They are teachers, technicians, doctors and construction workers, but it wasn’t their skill that made them stand out to me. It was their love, their drive, their devotion, their persistence, their tenacity, their vision. In short, their character. Throughout my time with these people, we had many laughs, perhaps sipped a wee dram of aged malted barley juice, played some games and invested time with one another. We didn’t always agree. Mistakes were made on all sides along the way. We didn’t always get along and those conflicts only made the interactions richer. Life isn’t about making/forcing everyone get along or to be like one another. Life is about learning from those around you and surrounding yourself with amazing people to invest with.
It suffices to say these are not the only important and influential people in my life. There are certainly others who care about me and whom I also care about. These here were placed in my life and purposed to be some of those major players at various times. All the world is a stage and we all play a role in each other’s story. For some I myself may be a larger contributor for their Act II, but never show up again. For others I may only be a walk on. So it is for each of us as our individual stories intertwine.
Before I get into the names and individual stories of these people, I’d like to encourage you to do your own version of this. It doesn’t need to be super public like I’m doing it. It doesn’t need to be widely seen or heard. Or maybe it does. You would know. Regardless of scope, please make a point to share your admiration, love and respect with the people in your life who have come to mind as you’ve read this – those who have helped fundamentally shape you into the man or woman you are thus far. Tell them even if it’s SUPER awkward at first. Far too many people wait to share how much they care or how important someone is to them until it’s too late. Say it now. You can come back and read this later.
If, by chance or circumstance, you cannot relay those thoughts, let me encourage you then to make some type of memorial. For example, find a moment with someone important to you and tell the story of the person you can’t tell directly. What is the sum of a person if not their memories, their stories?