A Lifetime Of Investing In Others
Pop had lived 91 years, and I had been asked to speak briefly at his funeral. The assignment was straightforward: share a particular detail about his life that was known to very few of us. General platitudes are easy to come by, but the occasion demanded specifics. What did I actually remember about a man whom we hadn't been around in more than 16 years?
To a few at the funeral, Pop was remembered as a father. To others he was a grandfather, a great-grandfather, an uncle, or maybe just a friend. But to me, he was something else -- an investor. Not in the monetary sense of the word, but an investor nonetheless.
Pop's investments were of a different sort. They were in someone, a person who could never repay him, who could never say "thank you," who would never even know what he was doing. Regardless, he continued to invest a small amount each day.
According to those close to him, Pop was a practical, frugal man who wrung the most of every resource but never accumulated very much in the way of material wealth. As a "no nonsense" type of person, his ways of doing things were not always understood.
But he had another side that few ever saw: a tenderness toward the unfortunate and a willingness to help them. That's what gave rise to of my fond remembrance of him ... and the reason for my talk.
Many years before, Pop had inclined himself to a little retarded girl who would never roll over or even hold up her head. No matter. He still invested ... by praying for her countless needs. Her name was Jenny, and she was our daughter.
During the course of Jenny's life, many expressed their concerns for her, and a few assured us that they prayed about them. I'm sure that some even prayed for her frequently. But Pop was the only one who repeatedly assured me -- with his old, wrinkled face smoothed by smiles of compassion -- that he prayed for her every day.
Pop's treasures weren't in this world, and I suppose that's just as well. Material wealth often creates a lot of problems for those who inherit it -- or those who wish they had. But investments in people will leave a heritage that's not subject to dispute and can't be squandered by heirs.
We would all do well to leave such a legacy of faithful investments in the welfare of others -- even in those who may not be one of the "beautiful people." Pop did that for us, and I'll never forget.
How will you be remembered? I hope that it's with the same tenderness that I remember Pop.
Copyright 1998 James McAlister
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