The Author of Future Generations

There are so many stories out there.  And so many of our stories are interconnected and intertwined.  Especially today with the pandemic, a simple visit to the local Home Depot can suddenly create a link between you dozens of other people who were otherwise strangers.

Even though we are all interconnected, how well can we ever truly know someone else's story?  In Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman, she brilliantly tells the intertwining story of Madeline Schwartz and Cleo Sherwood.  As the book unfolds you come to know more and more about what happened to Cleo.  But by the end of the novel it is unclear as to whether or not we really know the whole story.

This was never more evident than when my dear aunt passed away.  As the family gathered and told our stories it struck me how different our relationships and experiences were with her.  That being said, one common thread was her unwavering generosity, kindness and free spirit.  But how each one of us experienced that was dramatically different.  

As we each eulogized her by sharing our memories, it became clear that her story was highly shaped by the relationship, time and place.  My experiences with her as her second youngest niece was remarkably different than that of her youngest grandchild or one of her sisters.  The story of her life was in fact a set of stories that formed a greater whole.  Whether or not she knew the profound impact she had on each of us and how she will be remembered is unknown to me.  Her final years were taken away from her by dementia and therefore so many words were left unsaid.  So much of her life was left unlived.  So much love was left trapped in a body she no longer had power over.

Not every funeral is a happy or joyful one.  Not everyone shows up with sincere grief over the loved one they have lost.  Believe me, I've participated in some funerals that made me question how I live my life.  But one thing is for sure.  Although she was not perfect, my aunt left her mark on this world and made it a better place in doing so.  Her memory will live on as we pass on her stories, her values and her love. 

She will never know the impact she had on each one of us or for how many generations she will continue to shape our lives.  In fact none of us truly will.  Our stories continue to write themselves even long after the author is no longer able to pen the words.  

So remember that what you do accumulates.  Day by day you write the script of your life that not only create your story, but helps shape a greater narrative in ways you cannot possibly know.  You are the author of future generations. So choose your words wisely.