It Is What You Give - Kirsten | Learn English at EnglishCafe

Recently my family gathered for a memorial service for my Aunt Mary Anne.  It was a simple gathering in my mother's home.  We all sat around the fire in a large half-circle.  My uncle, her widow, is a minister, and he said some moving words about his wife and his faith that she is in God’s hands.  Then we continued around the room in a slow, thoughtful way sharing stories  and remembrances of our aunt, sister, mother and friend.   

Aunt Mary Anne was not someone who left a large mark on the world.  She will not be remembered by the public as an “important” person.  She did not make a scientific breakthrough, or write a bestselling book.  What Mary Anne provided was her smile and her affection, especially for people who might feel lonely or disempowered.  Since her death, people have come out of the woodwork to tell my uncle how she reached out to them when they were new in town, or when they did not seem to fit in, or when they were lonely or going through a hard time.  My daughter, her great niece, who did not see her very often, said that “When Aunt Mary Anne who hardly knew me loved me so much, it made me feel like the world is a loving place.”  And her children described a mother who gave them 100% of herself, even when she was very ill.

I have thought about this memorial gathering often over the past several weeks.  As we enter the New Year and make resolutions, Mary Anne’s life, the way she touched people, has reminded me that we will be remembered on the earth for what we give, not what we get.  Mary Anne gave what she could to people.  She was not famous for this, but she was powerful, and she was loved.