Thank you for the gift, my friend.
I went to my friend Kevin’s memorial today.
As I was making the long drive into town to attend a quickly planned ceremony hosted by his employer and coworkers, I had many thoughts race through my mind.
He was so young.
He was just two years younger than me, but lately I’ve been sensing my age more and more. I now look in the mirror and wonder “who is THAT person”? I feel like I am younger than my calendar years show, but on days like this, I feel so much older. He was also the vision of health and vitality, so his sudden, unexpected death has hit even harder.
My friendship with Kevin started almost 25 years ago… we were just ‘kids’ and so excited to be a part of such a great company. We laughed at how our past lives had intersected long before we ever knew each other – we both were from the same town in the same rural state, we both shared a love of community, shared joy in making others feel good, and couldn’t believe our luck to be able to work for such a fast-growing, opportunity-rich company. We bonded, in our own way.
Today left me with gratitude and deep appreciation because my friend had reconnected all of us.
Seeing so many familiar and loving faces in one place was … comforting. While all of us have figured out how to wear our years differently, our eyes still shone with the joy of fond reconnection. It was beautiful to say hello to so many people who had at one time been such a huge part of my life.
Kevin also helped many of us see ‘how’ we can move forward without him. In the storytelling and remembrances from the day, clear themes came forward. His team shared amazing stories about how he was full of joy and constantly shared it; how he found fun and made sure you had some and what he did to spark energy and helped to spread it.
But in the end, my biggest takeaway is that your biggest legacy, your truest gift to others is this:
Thank you, my friend.
Because you were here and we learned your lessons well and we will remember you always.
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Global Strategic B2B Sales and Account Management | C-Suite Relationship Management | Driving Revenue Growth
3 个月I love your reflections Marie. These events seem to push us to remember that life is meant to be lived fully and with great gusto. Our relationships and connections to others are what keeps us going and shining.
Convening Executive Peer Communities, CFO, Board Member
3 个月What a wonderful tribute! Thanks for the pointers and reminders of how to do this better.
SVP Store Development @ Starbucks | Retail, Team Building
3 个月Thank you for sharing these thoughts. You have captured Kevin’s impact perfectly, we will all miss him in our lives. Best to you this Thanksgiving Holiday.
Implementer | Relationship Builder | Problem Solver | Facilitator | Collaborator | Servant Leader
3 个月Marie, your tribute honored Kevin well. Any time I hear his name, the visual that pops into my memory is of him smiling. We knew of each other, but our worlds didn’t cross often so we didn’t know each other. What I do know is echoed in what I’ve read by fellow partners and the biggest word to describe him was “kind.” I’m sorry for your loss.
Founder of Best Practice Inc | Executive/Leadership Coach - Helping entrepreneurs and leaders committed to making a positive impact on people and the planet, while helping themselves and their businesses thrive
3 个月Thank you so much, Marie Gill! Just so you know, I have shared this more broadly. It's so important to remember that we will never know, fully, the impact we have had on so many lives. And how important it is to just be who we are, without comparison to anyone else. We all have unique gifts and contributions...and, in this life, we may never completely appreciate them. We just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and live our lives to the best of our ability. We will make a difference. Keep going...as long as we are able! Thanks, again, for sharing such a beautiful message of hope and impact. SO important... ??