“What we learn only through the ears makes less impression upon our minds than what is presented to the trustworthy eye.” – Horace
Recently I had to attend another funeral. The once-foreign action has become a usual practice over the last decade or so for yours truly. And during each service a question pops into my head about where I am in life and what impact have I made. During this most recent service, I accompanied my father and witnessed him interact with several of his old classmates who enjoyed telling me stories about the person my dad was to them.
It’s one thing for a person you know being talked about and given a chance to relive glory days through tales. But it’s an entirely different feeling to be the focus of someone else’s stories. Not twenty-four hours after hearing old friends laughing about days I could never imagine, I happened to run into an old high school classmate of mine. Though we couldn’t remember each other’s names, the immediate recognition of faces flooded our respective minds of nostalgia. We quickly traded small talk (as he was trying to prep his happy children for a grocery shopping trip) and couldn’t help but wish each other a fruitful continuation of life.
There’s an amazing feeling knowing someone who you haven’t seen in years could still remember you for being a genuine person; for being who you are (and I’m not just talking about myself). You never know what lasting impression you’ll leave on someone, or what impression they’ll leave on you.
