I recently attended a Celebration of Life ceremony for a good friend whom I had known for more than 40 years. I am the trustee of her estate and know her children and relatives quite well. The ceremony was very touching. About a dozen people, including me, spoke about what a wonderful woman she was.
A Life Lived With Spontaneous Joy
She truly loved life. She gave generously to charity and had adopted several children. Years ago, I traveled with her family to Costa Rica. One day, while we were near a beautiful beach, she suddenly tossed aside her outer clothes and ran into the ocean in her underclothes, encouraging the rest of us to do the same. Soon we were all swimming in the ocean and laughing together for several hours. That was the kind of spontaneous joy she brought into people’s lives.
Over the years, she donated millions of dollars to charitable causes and helped educate several children who otherwise might not have had the opportunity. Listening to people speak about her during the two-hour ceremony was incredibly moving. Afterward, everyone gathered for food and conversation, sharing more memories.
I often ran into her and her husband at restaurants over the years, and I made a habit of buying them dessert whenever I saw them. People laughed about that during the ceremony, mentioning her well-known sweet tooth.
She Didn’t Just Believe in God — She Experienced God
She didn’t just believe in God, she experienced God. Another way to describe it is that she understood that God lived within her, and she used that inner energy to bring good things into the world. It was a beautiful quality.
Her son and my son played music together as teenagers, and he has grown into a wonderful man. One thing that stood out to me during the ceremony was that, in the last part of her life, she had become physically handicapped and had difficulty speaking. Yet no one focused on that. Instead, everyone talked about the joy she brought into their lives.
It was beautiful to witness. May we all be remembered with such warmth and appreciation by the people who knew us. To me, this was spirituality at its best. She generated positive energy wherever she went, and people remembered her for that.
Kindness Without Control
She never imposed rules or tried to control others. She simply offered kindness, encouragement, and good advice when it was needed.
It made me wonder why more people do not live the way she did, doing kind and loving things for others. She brought happiness to so many people and stood firmly for what she believed was right.
She was not someone who constantly talked about worshiping God. Instead, she lived her faith through her actions. She trusted herself and acted with confidence. She was not always perfect—none of us are—but her positive attitude and willingness to help others far outweighed any mistakes.
Living the Philosophy of Love and Peace
The philosophy of the Star of Light speaks about love and peace, and in many ways she embodied those ideals. She lived with joy, kindness, and spirit. Self-love was important to her, but she also understood that life is about helping others.
Perhaps that is one of the main reasons we are here on Earth, to learn through life’s challenges and to help one another along the way. In many ways, she lived like the cells in our bodies do: cooperating, supporting, and contributing to the health of the whole.
A Gift for Bringing People Together
She also loved cooking. Many times she would prepare meals and even auction them off to raise money for charity. Not many people do things like that today.
Her husband passed away a few years before she did, yet she never spoke negatively about it. When he was alive, she supported him fully as he built a successful business and became a multimillionaire. I now serve as the trustee who helps distribute the charitable funds they created.
She hosted countless dinners for friends at her home, and people fondly remembered her barbecues and cooking. She truly had a gift for bringing people together.
The Legacy We Leave Behind
Although many people spoke highly of her during the ceremony, I knew her closely, and in truth she was simply a normal person who chose to do many good things. That is something all of us can do, if we choose to live from the heart.
As the years pass, we will continue to remember her and the joy she brought into our lives. And perhaps that is the greatest legacy any of us can leave behind.
