What would you do……
differently now that you’ve been given a second chance? he asked myDarlin’ as we sat by his hospital bedside in March of 2013. And myDarlin’ replied that there were some people he felt he didn’t treat kindly, and that he would change that if he got the opportunity. Ironically, even though I was there and can distinctly remember the conversation, it had slipped my immediate memory.
Our friend thought to himself, if Robert Kenui Pope thinks that he needs to be kinder, then surely I do as well. I just watched the You tube video again by Chik Fila titled, ‘Every Life Has a Story’ and think about how Robert knew so many small details of people’s lives, and know the reason is that he chose to read their story. And as I wondered why this story hadn’t stuck out in my memory until just now, it is because he really did live his life like this every day and it didn’t seem out of the ordinary to me. I’ve often said the ordinary is extraordinary, and this is an example of just that.
As I gave birth to my first son, I pondered what I would do differently than my parents. What did I want my children to experience in their childhood that I had not? Was it more toys, better clothes, and fancy vacations? No, none of those things matter in the grand scheme of things. It was to tell my children every day, out loud, that I love them. I grew up knowing that I was loved, but the words were difficult to say out loud. My Mother came to visit many years ago before she passed, and I shared this story with her. She began to cry because she thought I was implying she was a bad mother. No, you are a wonderful Mother, who just happened to grow up in a family that didn’t express their affection in a verbal manner, and that is where we can change for the better.
Today I spent time really getting to know two friends a lot better, asking them about their story. And the thing that I walked away knowing is that our trials and tribulations make us a stronger person, and equip us to be there for others who may come into our lives. myDarlin’s passing affected each one of these friends in a major way, one who knew him well and the other who had not met him. And both shared that they look at life a little differently now – pausing to consider what really matters in life.
And as we came to the intersection of life and faith, Robert gently placed his hand on mine and said very tenderly, “Stop and look up, see what I am seeing.” I am grateful for Robert’s reminder to be fully present, to avoid the distractions that prevent us from seeing what is really important and seize the opportunity to be kind to one another.
Ephesians 4:32 - And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
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