Leaving a Legacy

What will they say about me when I’m gone?

The memorial service on that hot and sunny Father’s Day taught me a powerful lesson of friendship.

There were three eulogies at my father’s memorial service, one from each of us children. We covered the chronology of his life, how he spent his time, his love of seeing different parts of the country and of the world, and especially how he loved meeting people all around the world.

The pastor presented some introductory comments and read the relevant scriptures from the Bible about life and death and the hope God gives.

A legacy of friendliness

One scripture, presented in the introduction and mounted on one of the beautifully prepared picture presentations in the lobby, especially stood out: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

Whether my dad was at the local shopping mall, at a restaurant, walking down the street or at church services, he never met someone he didn’t want to talk to! This was well received by many, but not always welcomed by everyone. However, that did not deter him. The more lonely and unhappy a person looked, the more he wanted to meet them, to talk with them, to give of himself to them.

Many of the phone calls, comments, emails and cards of encouragement that our family received had some variation of the following phrases:

• “He was the first person I met at church.”
• “He was the one who talked to me when nobody else did.”
• “He was everybody’s friend.”

Ordinary but outstanding

He was not a millionaire or famous in any way. He did not invent anything important, wear expensive clothing or live in a mansion. In fact, his life was fairly simple and ordinary.

With that ordinary life, my dad left the powerful legacy of being a friend.

Barbara Lee attends the Twin Cities, Minnesota, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, and works as an IT business analyst in the financial services industry. She is a musician and an exercise enthusiast in her free time.

For more about meeting people and building friendships, see:

• The Welcoming Gift
• The Basics of Meaningful Conversation 101
• Love in Action: Prayer Plus