The Eulogy

“You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.” Denzel Washington

Hearing of the death of someone always induces a wave of sadness; whether it is personal or not. It even has the ability to make you relive the death of a close one. At funerals, the easiest and most relieving portion is the eulogy. It takes off the load of the person’s absence out of one’s mind, bringing to the light the best moments of the person.

The eulogy is a deceased’s resume, a conglomerate of cherished moments that people shared with them. All these praiseworthy acts are being read before everyone who came to pay homage. Only the good is being highlighted. If you never do any good, the only thing that you leave people to write about is your biography, name, place of birth, place of employment, name of spouse and name of children if any. The way you live your life is the way people will remember you.

Surprisingly, you are the author of your eulogy. People can only physically write on paper what you’ve inscribed with the way you lived; cared for people, loved, the way you were selfless. The way you exuded kindness to everyone around you. Material things will perish, they aren’t everlasting. But Love will.

Some may find this post melancholic. I took this approach to bring inspiration because if we have this outlook, we may do better in life. There isn’t any rewind button on life. Chasing after material things aren’t all there is to life. All the money in the world doesn’t last always. The things the world has to offer won’t satisfy forever. “You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse” said Denzel Washington. But what you do see are cars driven by the people that the person in the hearse made a difference in. So, invest in people. You have one chance to live. The people who are around you have one life to live as well. That’s it! So, don’t let your book go unwritten. Don’t let your dreams go unattained. Don’t let people go unloved. Don’t let your song go unsung. Live now. Your legacy starts today. Leave a legacy of LOVE!