A life worth living…

Play with me for a moment. Attempt to recall the names and birth-dates of your parents. If you’re married, recall the same for your in-laws. Now, try to remember the names of your Grandparents on both your mother and father’s side. Can you go back further and recall your great grandparents names?

I cannot.

I do remember my mothers grandfather, even though I cannot recall his first name. He was a German migrant farmer living in Russia when Catherine the Great changed the way Russia dealt with foreigners working the land. My great grandfather grabbed his wife and children and said enough is enough. We’re going to the land of the free – America, he declared – and so they did. Eventually, Grandfather Krause made his way to a western Kansas town named Great Bend. He staked his claim to a piece of land and farmed it like a banchee throughout his life. My mom took notice. Her stories stuck with me. Great Grandpa Krause lived a life worth remembering.

You most likely are playing it too safe and are too worried about what others think. Play with me for another moment. If you’re kinda like me, you needn’t worry. Your loved ones aren’t gonna be able to remember your name in just a couple generations anyway – why not go for it? Why play it safe? What is playing small buying you in the long run, my soon to be forgotten friend?

Thanks great grandpa Krause for giving my mom a life worth remembering. God, help me pass this gift along. God, help me…