Today I took my son to the memorial service of his friend, who drowned last week at age 11. He had been a school friend, his Outdoor School cabin-mate, his lunch buddy. Although I never met the boy, it was still unbearably sad.
The school auditorium was packed with a heartbreaking all-ages array of mourners. Babies to grandparents, and many, many middle-schoolers. The speaking skills of the kids who stood up to share rememberences impressed me to no end. Articulate despite their grief. I had been unable to utter a simple “thank you” to the person who handed me the program for fear of losing my composure.
What does this have to do with being “The Non-Consumer Advocate?”
Life is uncertain. If there is something that is important to you, a goal you wish to attain, work towards it now. Don’t wait for life’s stresses to go away before you strive to live the life you wish for yourself. The person you want to be. Maybe the stresses are there because you’re not fulfilling your potential.
This one boy lived only 11 short years, but his smiles and his positivity affected hundreds and hundreds of people. Mourner after mourner stood to tell how their lives were changed by simply knowing him.
If you are not living the life you want, it does not need to be. Make the changes to live the life you want. Don’t put it off any longer.
-Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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Well said, Katy.
Strange how death seems to always be a reminder of what is truly important in life, and how precious this exact moment in time really is. My blessings and deep compassion go out to the boy’s family and friends, including your son.