The following entry was originally posted on The Secret Life of Cees, a ground breaking and at times hilarious journal of the trials and triumphs of a young woman who was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Please take a moment to follow the links and check it out. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and more importantly…. You’ll gain perspective.

I would like to preface this post by saying that I was truly elated when Cees announced, “I’m expected to make a full recovery.” To me, she is more than a friend. We are reflections of each other. Our flaws, strengths, abilities and accomplishments echo between us. We are “nerds of a feather.” So her brush with mortality has prompted me to analyze my own.

Until recently, I did not think death was real. My suburbanite mind told me that death only comes for the careless, the indigent and the elderly. Unfortunately, death comes for us all and not always when it is convenient.

If I were to die today, would my survivors have to fill my Eulogy with meaningless fluff and overly romanticized childhood memories… or could they tell truth?

Here lies a man who did just okay in school.
Here lies a man who had a mediocre job pressing buttons on a plastic box in a cubicle.
Here lies a man who accomplished nothing new nor groundbreaking.
Here lies a man who ignored his family and friends to accomplish tasks that no longer matter.
Here lies a man who did what everyone else was doing for fear of not belonging.
Here lies a man.

We’ve all heard the cliche, “Life is short.” But does it have to be? We can live for an eternity in minds and hearts of all who were inspired by our words, works, and disposition. We can use our life to fuel the greatness of generations to come. We are the keepers of our family’s legacy and the heroes in our descendants’ history.

So if I should die before I wake, I pray that my survivors can say:
Here lies a man who is finally getting some rest after living an adventurous, fulfilling, and inspirational life.

We’ve got work to do Cees… let’s live long and prosper.

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