I went to a memorial luncheon today for someone I knew.

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He was a the brother of a family friend of my wife's.

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It was a wonderful gathering.

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A gathering of family, friends, and other relatives.

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During the event, many people got up to say some thing about Lenny, the person who had passed.

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They were funny stories, touching stories, and stories of his life.

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Everyone talked about how kind Lenny was, how generous he was, and how much he love life and his family.

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You could feel how everyone there agreed.

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The warmth in the room was palatable.

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We were talking to a couple who had driven done from Massachusetts.

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My wife made the comment about why do we wait until someone dies to have this kind of celebration.

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The couple agreed.

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I think most people would.

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So I thought about why do we wait.

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Why not have a gathering while we are still around to hear all the nice things people would say about us?

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Maybe that might even help with the transition.

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Lenny was home at hospice for the last few weeks.

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He died with his loving family around him.

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I thought about my own death, hopefully in the distant future.

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And the thought came to me how much it would mean to me to hear the impact I had on other people.

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Not out of a sense of ego or self-centeredness.

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Just wanting to feel like it was all worth it.

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That all the pain and challenges, all the trials and tribulations, meant something.

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To hear how I had a positive influence on other people's lives would give it all meaning.

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Perhaps you feel that way?

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How many times have we someone say that they wished they had said something to someone before they passed.

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Why wait?

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Imagine how different life would be if we all celebrated people while they were still alive.

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Not just celebrities and stars.

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Celebrating everyday people, and their impact on our lives.

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As I looked around the room I could feel Lenny's impact on everyone there.

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For me, it was a wonderful experience of getting to know new people I might never had met otherwise.

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All brought together for one common purpose, to celebrate Lenny.

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Wouldn't we all like to have that kind of celebration before we leave this earth?

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~ Sam Liebowitz, The Conscious Consultant

Host of The Conscious Consultant Hour