“In the time we have it is surely our duty to do all the good we can to all the people we can in all the ways we can.” -William Barclay
Last night we celebrated a surprise retirement party for my dad. It was warming to see those who made his career significant over a span of 40 years. He sent me and my siblings a thank you note this morning talking about how much these connections meant to him. My favorite sentence from his email said, ” I just wanted to go to each table and sit down and talk forever.” This is my dad. He loves people.
He also loves quotes, which is where my love for words most likely was born. He often quoted Maya Angelou over the years, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I sat in a room full of people last night that felt undoubtedly blessed to know my dad and as a daughter there is no better example than to watch your father live life loving and serving others.
It’s only fitting that this morning I opened up my laptop to find another quote by Maya Angelou in my inbox, “We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends and living our lives.”
Dad, we adore you! You have taught us to cherish friends and family, live well and do good.