Eulogy from My Son

I know that writing a eulogy for myself from the perspective of my son is a little creepy (okay, way creepy), but the exercise (thanks, Stephen Covey!) was actually really illuminating and clarifying. I enjoyed doing it at the Reflection & Rejuvenation Retreat. It helped me pat myself on the back in some areas and set goals for myself in other areas. So here it goes…

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I couldn’t have asked for a better mother. She went out of her way to make me feel so loved and so worthy of love. When I was little, she would think of far away places and say, “Do you know how much I love you? I love you from here to Antarctica!” She would put notes in my lunchbox and send me care packages at college. She was always there to stroke my forehead or massage my shoulders.

I could come to her with any problem, and she would always be there. She would ask me whether I wanted her to help me solve the problem or just listen. And she would always hold true to my wishes. 

And she was always so much fun. No matter how important her work was, she would always make time to go throw the football with me or read me a story. She laughed at all my jokes and didn’t shy away from talking about poop or farts. She never cared when I came home dirty. In fact, she would say, “It looks like you had a lot of fun!”

She supported me whenever I developed a new interest. She built a bird feeder with me and bought me model airplanes. She even let me plan a road trip to a remote island to learn more about horses I was fascinated with. We went on adventures together every year, and she always had such a passion for learning about new things and going to new places. 

She inspired me to work to make the world a better place for all people. She had so much empathy and compassion for diverse people, and she devoted her career to social justice. 

She lived with integrity and easily admitted whenever she made a mistake. She apologized easily. She always saw herself as a work in progress and strived to be better every single day.

Through her example, I have come to be the kind of person who seeks to make the world a better place in a joyful and loving way.