#13 Remembering the Momentous
For those who have left their mark, let us always remember and honor how momentous their lives were.
Steve Steele
7/27/20266 min read
One of the hardest parts of life is living without knowing how much time we, or those we love, have left on this Earth. There are MANY momentous people walking the streets today, but many more who have passed. The bitter reality is that in many cases, we don't realize just how momentous someone is until they are gone and we are left to talk about how momentous someone was. Artists, for example, are people who in many such cases aren't fully appreciated for their work until after they are gone. Whether they were ahead of their time or just had a unique perspective, it took a while for their work to reach the person who needed it most.
This same phenomenon happens to us more than we would care to admit. We are so wrapped up in our work, activities, and everything else going on that we forget to STOP, take a breath and truly appreciate what we have in front of us. My hand is up, I am guilty of this myself. This post has been on my heart, developing over the past week, as it seems like most of life has redirected to this topic.
First, recognition. GIVE IT TO PEOPLE. Give it to those who deserve it and do it NOW. Find a person who doesn't appreciate recognition mean and I'll find you a liar. They don't need to love attention to appreciate recognition. When someone has given a large part of themselves to a specific thing (or a more general thing that's important), that life sacrifice needs to be honored. Within the nonprofit world at the Boys & Girls Club this happens all the time. Some donors give resources, some give time, others give both. Without them, we would not be able to provide the service that we do for our community. Go and talk to any nonprofit organization, and they will have a list of examples of these people.
These people deserve to be celebrated and recognized for the difference they have made and continue to make. We had a Hall of Fame event at our regional conference where we were fortunate enough to honor one of our own who has made such a difference. Seeing and hearing people describe the difference he has made through his efforts over the years meant a lot to him. Getting to see him watch those interviews where he could see just how much he had done for our Club and community was worth the trip in itself. These moments are a combination of a thank you, along with validation that all of their efforts have been seen, acknowledged, and have been truly momentous. To quote a video from that night, "Don't forget to give people their flowers while they are here to enjoy them." We never know when the end will be here for any of us, so if you have someone to celebrate, do it now!
Second, this past week, I found it was my turn to speak at our local Toastmasters Club. That morning I plotted out a rough ice breaker speech and again felt this tug to discuss the process of writing my book, but ending with a distinct call-to-action. The speech itself went just fine. Much of it revolved around being asked to write a book by my friend Ed, who then had to reteach some high school English to me as we went through the process. As I was telling the story of my book, I could see that the audience was captivated and interested in it. The call-to-action at the end was simple, write down the stories you have, so when you are gone, people can read them.
Anyone can write a book. We all have an amazing story inside us. We have all had numerous momentous people come through our lives at different times for different lengths and reasons. We don't need to have incredible accomplishments or awards to write down the stories we have. What might seem incredibly ordinary might be transformational through someone else's eyes. It is important to own your own experiences. They (and all the people within them) have helped make you who you are, so you are not just telling your stories, but how other people impacted your story and made you into the person you are today. As you read this, I challenge you today to write down stories. Whether you share them with your family, friends, or the world, I promise you that they will make an impact on someone.
Third, the annual AVB Foundation Iron Aiden 36 was this past weekend. This tournament was born from the tragic loss of young man, taken too soon. Aiden was such a happy, goofy, fun-loving kid who truly made people better. As a coach, I always found it incredible that he always seemed to have no enemies, or at least no kids that hated him. Pretty much everyone in high school has their "clique" with the people they like and also have a group that can't stand them. From my perspective, Aiden was liked by all.
Aiden had the incredible ability to always be himself, which is a skill far beyond his age. Many people (myself included many times) care so much about what other people think that they change themselves in a moment to fit what those around them expect. Not Aiden. From tying a tee shirt around his head and walking around camp like that to make perfectly timed comedic relief, ensuring everyone had someone to talk to, to rocking the hoodie, board shorts and Birkenstocks for any and all occasions, he was unapologetically himself. I have drawn confidence and reminders from this over the past year. It is something we all can do as we work to become the best version of ourselves.
His golf tournament has become an amazing event. Somehow both years have been blazing hot, and somehow both years everyone had a blast regardless. Seeing infectious energy, goofy demeanors, and a group of people coming together to celebrate a momentous young man that was taken far too soon and without notice, warms the heart. Not because you don't miss Aiden, but you quickly realize how many people he made an impact on. Knowing that you yourself are also one, you want to ensure that more people feel that impact.
The AVB Foundation that rose from the ashes of the tragedy works to help kids struggling with grief or dealing with situations that many of his friends dealt with after his passing. The foundation is continuing to do exactly what Aiden did, look after his friends and help them be the best versions of themselves while also providing support to families who have lost a child. The foundation also provides scholarships to benefit youth seeking higher education as well. The Iron Aiden is a perfect, fun way to honor and remember Aiden, and learn his story, all while helping him continue to make a momentous difference to our world through the work of his foundation.
In conclusion:
Give people their flowers while they are here to enjoy them.
Write down the stories from your life and share them with friends, family, and the world.
Honor and remember those who have passed so that you continue to be better for having known them and so that more people can be impacted by them.
Parting Thoughts
Who is someone in your life that deserves to be recognized or celebrated? Whether it is a family, friend, coworker, or community member, who do you see that should be recognized or celebrated that hasn't been. Take the initiative to do that. It doesn't need to be a grand gesture, just genuine praise and recognition in any form.
What is a story that you can write down? If you think about it from the lens of "remember when," you will probably come up with at least a few great stories you could tell. Many of the best ones start like that. It may be crazy, dangerous, silly, or any number of emotions, but it is YOUR story, and it is something to be proud of and told.
Who is someone you can honor and remember, ensuring their legacy lives on? We have all been impacted by those no longer with us. Take a moment and think of someone who made an impact on you and make it a point to honor them this week.
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."
John 14: 1-3