Death - Larger Than Life

I recently went to my friend's brother's funeral. A young man with 3 kids, felled by melanoma, the stories about Andrew were endless. At the funeral and in the house of mourning, rabbis, siblings and friends all remembered Andrew as larger than life and humor was the common thread of all their memories.

I too, have endured the pain of death, having lost my mother, father and mother-in-law within three short years. I often describe my parents as larger than life, or in my mother's case, a force of nature. It recently occurred to me that each of these folks, Andrew included, must have lived life to the fullest and were not shy or reticent about experiencing themselves in it. They did not wait to feel life, they did not deny themselves their unique gifts. In doing so, they allowed each of us to experience them fully and really know them. In some bizarre way, this makes it easier to carry them with us once they have left.

Could we see this as a "charge" to us to be the most that we can be? Is a legacy determined by how authentic one lives a life? And in doing so, are we making a mark as we live and making it easier for our loved ones when we die?

There are so many lessons to be learned as a daughter, friend and coach. Learn more about Andy and the foundation he created to fight melanoma