You Matter

by Michele Boy | September 21, 2023

At the funeral of a friend’s father this week, the priest said something that has stuck with me. So often at funerals I think the focus is on the glory of Heaven and what joy there is. But it is rare we stop and discuss the emptiness that is left behind. 
During his sermon, is it a sermon in Catholicism? I asked a friend. It is called a homily. 
 During the homily, the priest said there is a great emptiness where this person occupied. And that hit me. 
How do we move forward if we don’t acknowledge the pain. This person’s life mattered. He made a difference for his family, for his church, and for his country. 
Not long after the funeral word came of another man from our small town who was killed in a car accident. 
While I never had deep meaningful interactions with him, I saw him daily. I saw him at the donut shop, the convenience store, at auctions. 
He was quiet but always present. 
Now there is emptiness where these men are no longer living. 
Maybe the focus is on they are healed, with loved ones, and free. 
But stop for a moment. Your presence in someone’s life matters. You occupy a huge space. And your life, your actions, and your decisions affect others. 
I was angry at a larger news media outlet sharing news without thought to the fact that many in the family had not been notified yet. And how we move so fast in this life that we forget to slow down. 
Maybe that’s the beauty of a small town. You are noticed. You matter. You make a difference. 
Let’s raise a glass to those who have gone before us. Thank them whoever they were in your life, for their good and bad memories, and for the legacy they left behind. 
  And move forward with new vigor as we are still here. Look at the sun and smile, help someone out, forgive a few small issues, and be kinder to our fellow men and women. We are all we have. 
  “You may think that you are completely insignificant in this world. But someone drinks coffee from the favorite cup that you gave them. Someone heard a song on the radio that reminded them of you. Someone read the book that you recommended and plunged headfirst into it. Someone smiled after a hard day’s work because they remembered the joke that you told them today. Someone loves themselves a little bit more because you gave them a compliment. Never think you have no influence whatsoever. Your trace, which you leave behind with every good deed, cannot be erased.” — Unknown