It is the conscious or subconscious inner yearning of all humans to reach immortality.  

 

For some this is pursued through medical advances. For others, it is the belief in an afterlife where our souls live for eternity. For yet others, eternity is achieved through our children, the next generation or through leaving our names on meaningful buildings and worthwhile causes.

 

This Thursday I spent most of the day participating in the funeral of Mr. Bernie Marcus, an Atlanta legend and an American Hero.

 

If you are familiar with Bernie’s life you’d imagine the various speeches about his personality, his storytelling, his compassion for others, his generosity and the millions of lives he impacted through Home Depot and his philanthropy.

 

There was something else that really touched me. Usually when speaking of larger than life personalities, there is no practical take away other than to sit in admiration of their greatness.  In Bernie’s case, a constant takeaway of the speakers was, “to honor Bernie is to be a kinder person to those around you”. 

 

When you strip it all away, we end up in the same place.  What we leave behind is the example of how we treated the next person.

 

G-d says of Abraham; “For I have knownhim because he commands his sons and his household after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord to perform righteousness and and justice…”.

Bernie, an Abraham in our times. To have known him is to pass his kindness on. 

May his memory be for a blessing!