"Remember Me"

"How I Would Like To Be Remembered"

I was asked by one of my readers, how I would like to be remembered , if and when I leave this world , to enter the Gates of Heaven, and  I was touched by that question. So many times, we live our lives for today, without thought about the future, and so this question moved me to try to answer it as best I can. I can only say that when that time comes, I have prepared myself and my family to be able to accept it , and the survivors to go on with thier lives.
 
 I hope that I will be remembered as one who never gave up on a issue, just because it got too tough.   I have been a part of many fights ,to preserve a right, or one that would give back some rights lost ,because of  others that tried to take them away. I have always felt that if you had a right to do something and you did not sign that right away, you still had it. That is refered to as the "Grandfather Clause".

 I hope that people will remember me as a man who could be trusted under any circumstances. My word is the gospel. That was instilled in me by my parents, who was very trustworthy too.  Back in the old days, when a man gave thier word to do something, you could take it to the bank.  I hope that I can always live up to the teachings given to me by my parents.

 I hope that they will remember me as a kind person, who as the good book says, will turn the other cheek, before he would do anything to hurt his fellow man.  Also as one who would not kill man or beast, unless I or my family were in danger of being hurt or killed.  Mom and Dad always said that it was foolish to fight, if you could sit down and talk it out , thus finding out what the problem was and how it could be solved. It is a shame that we can't all do that,thus doing away with costly wars, and ugly lawsuits.

 Remember me as one, who tried to love all people, regardless of  race or religion. My parents taught me that we all are God's children, and we should show respect for all the elders, and for all friends and countrymen. To hate a fellow man because of his belief, or his race, is a very stupid way to live. I have never let that be part of my life. To love your  fellow man is to love God, and I hope that all my friends of the old days, know that they are and will always be close to my heart.

 Remember me as a believer in my country and a lover of the American flag. That flag flies because we had ancestors, who were willing to fight for the right to be free. To be born in America is to be an automatic citizen, and they are Americans, regardless of where thier ancestry came from. When I see the American flag waving, I have butterflies in my stomach, and I want to holler out to the world , how fortunate we are to live here. It hurts me to see someone desecrate the American flag.

 Remember me as a family man, who had a good wife and some great children, and who worked many hours in order to full-fill my duty as a father and husband to care for them, as did my parents for me and my brothers and sisters. I get my strength from my mother and dad who lived only to raise up the children, and did without so that we could be clothed and fed.  Bless both of them for taking great care of us while they were here on this earth

 Remember me as one who never turned his back on his friends, regardless of any reason to do so. A friend is one for life, and he is there always to help you.  I have many friends from the old days that still fill a portion of my heart with thier friendship. A friend is a brother or sister in the eyes of God, and he or she is always there for you. And remember me as one who was not afraid to hug another man, just because we were the same gender. A hand shake and a hug is just forms of respect for others.

 I could go on and on, about how I would like to be remembered, but let's be sensible about it and know that no one is perfect ,and no matter how much you want people to remember all the good things about you, they will remember the bad too. That is human nature, and you just can't change it. So if you want to only be remembered as a good guy, you have to live life that way.

 The road of life is a strange one in that no one walks exactly the same road. Some will walk a straight path thus getting to the promise land without stumbling, or tripping on something in that road. They will not fall into the many holes, nor will they have to take detours to get to where they are going.
 
 Others will meet some blockages in the road, thus having to make up thier minds to either go around, climb over, or just wait for the blocked area to clear. Then they will find that there are side roads, that will take them out of thier way , thus making it harder to get to the end of thier road, without misery and pain, and disappointments.

 For some, the road keeps getting longer and the things that hold you back  keep getting bigger. Sometimes you wonder why you have to endure all the pain and disappointment, that never goes away. But that is where all of us are the same. The end of the road of life is there for each of us, no matter how it is traveled. But the result could be different, based on how you walked that road . All of us will meet some blockage in the road, and how we react to it governs how the end will be.

 I have always tried to never judge another, because I am not traveling in that person's shoes. I don't have any idea of the pain that the other person has. I have no idea of what the other person has to do to maintain his path in the road of life. I can only answer to what I have had to endure to get to the end of my road. I hope that the end will be a long time from now, but I feel assured that the road that I am walking, in spite of all the pain and blockages, will end at the "Gates Of Heaven". If I meet some detours along the way, I hope that I have enough sense to keep walking the straight and narrow path, needed to fulfill my goal.

 I have recieved a second chance at life and I will treasure it each day with "Thanks" to God for giving me one more day. I will treat my fellow man with respect, and I will always pay my respects to those who made this great land a wonderful place to live in, and who have gone home finally to be with the "Great Father"

 So if you want to say anything about me when that time comes, just say that I was a person who loved everything about life. Say that I tried to make a difference, and say "Job well done" I will see you later in yet another column about what it was like to live in the old days.

 Ray"Uncle Ray" Day

"Everyone should want to be remembered in a good way."