This blog entry was written in April, and was never posted. With the recent earthquake in Haiti, I find this post to be an even more invaluable lesson now, than it was at the time I began this entry. It is kind of weird how it worked like this! Enjoy!
Several weeks ago (keep in mind-April), I turned on NBC's Today Show, as I was piddling around my house, getting ready to leave for work. I expected to be updated on the hottest trends of the season, or the latest method of shedding some pounds. I was waiting to meet the author of the most recent best-seller book, or to hear a song from someone's newly released album. Perhaps all of those things were fragments of that particular show, but I couldn't say, if they were. What drew my attention was a story about Augie Nieto, founder of Life Fitness, who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) in 2005. To be honest, I had never heard of him before that day, but the powerful five minute documentary that took me through his battle with his disease, and his current outlook on life really grabbed me. As I watched the segment, thoughts started racing through my mind. First and foremost, was the thought of "why do bad things happen to good people?", and then, "how tragic is it that the founder of Life Fitness develops a disease that confines him to a wheelchair without the ability to move, or even talk? I started to feel pity for him and his beautiful young family (Augie was 46 yrs old when diagnosed with ALS). In the midst of these thoughts, however, I was taken aback by some melodic words from Augie. Words that weren't done any justice, as they were communicated through the monotone computer-generated voice of the system connected to his wheelchair. Those words were as follows:
I may be reading between the lines to a certain extent as I explain my thoughts on Augie's statement, but what Augie said really resonated in my mind (so much so that I have turned it into a blog entry). I think underneath every part of his statement there is a hidden message for all of us to learn from. Beginning with "I have never been happier in my life." Now, I don't TRULY buy that Augie has NEVER been happier in his life. I'm going to venture to say that this guy has had plenty of happier times. The "happiness" I believe he was speaking of, was a happiness that resulted from the satisfaction of KNOWING what his life meant to those who were closest to him. He felt lucky enough to have the opportunity to hear for himself, the kinds of things that others might hear in his eulogy.
"I've never been happier in my life. When your family and friends think you are at the end of your life they say things that are normally reserved for your eulogy. When you hear those remarks, it makes you feel proud of the impact you have had on your family and your friends and the people you have worked with."
I may be reading between the lines to a certain extent as I explain my thoughts on Augie's statement, but what Augie said really resonated in my mind (so much so that I have turned it into a blog entry). I think underneath every part of his statement there is a hidden message for all of us to learn from. Beginning with "I have never been happier in my life." Now, I don't TRULY buy that Augie has NEVER been happier in his life. I'm going to venture to say that this guy has had plenty of happier times. The "happiness" I believe he was speaking of, was a happiness that resulted from the satisfaction of KNOWING what his life meant to those who were closest to him. He felt lucky enough to have the opportunity to hear for himself, the kinds of things that others might hear in his eulogy.
My question is, why do we wait until we feel that someone is approaching death to let that person know the impact they have made on the lives of others? In many cases, we wait until they have already died. It seems as though Augie was pointing out just how uncommon it is for someone to be the recipient of such remarks. Why has it become common practice for us to reserve such remarks for people's eulogies? What is wrong with saying these things when people are still alive and well? I know for a fact that it is very easy for people to point out the way in which they believe someone is NEGATIVELY influencing their lives, for this seems to be a common every day occurrence. But how many times do people let people know the significance of their life's impact on others?
Back in April I probably had intentions of writing more specifically about Augie Nieto. However, in revisiting this unfinished post I now find Augie's words playing in my mind like a tormenting score for a horror movie. In seeing images (on the Today Show!) of the Haitian people suffering I am reminded how important it is for us to let others know how they have impacted our lives (positively) BEFORE they're approaching death. The people who surround us today, may be gone tomorrow. They could be taken from us in such a way that prohibits any form of eulogy, like the hundreds of thousands (and counting) of people who lost their lives in Haiti's horrific earthquake. Let us remember the words of Augie Nieto as we surround ourselves daily with the people who have made a difference in our lives.
