This is the closing part in the series. You can find previous chapters here:
First off, if you’ve been reading these, I just want to say thanks. Thanks for getting to know my Mom, both in her life and in her death.
Throughout this series, I’ve worried that I’ve been too critical of Mom. I was hesitant to discuss her shortcomings and struggles because that is not how I want her to be remembered. But I thought the lessons learned were important enough to share, and that the possible benefit to others was worth the honesty. My hope is that there has been at least one nugget of wisdom in this series that is useful now, or will be in the future—either for you or for someone you’re caring for.
Mom faced many struggles in life. Yet through it all, she did her best to keep a positive attitude. She loved Jesus, and her faith was foundational to her strength and to the hope she had for something better. Her faith was also foundational to her desire to help others, serve others, and love others.
I miss Mom.
But I also take encouragement from the fact that her legacy and impact continue to ripple through this world.
She positively affected many people during her lifetime—through her example, love, encouragement, volunteering and service, financial giving, and gifts of other kinds. Some of those impacts she knew about, others she never did, including, perhaps, the ones to you who are reading this.
Each of us can probably name someone who made a personal impact on our life—someone who changed who we are or how we live. It stands to reason, then, that we can have that same impact on others. In fact, we may positively affect someone because of the impact another person first had on us.
Mom’s legacy continues in that way. I am better because of her, and I’d like to think I’ve made other people’s lives better in turn. She will never know all of those impacts, but they exist in part because of her. The ripple effect of those personal interactions is impossible to measure, yet we know it is there. We all have the ability to impact others in ways we may never know.
And that is yet another lesson I take from the life of my Mom, Nancy Rendell.
Thank you for reading this,
Brian
Links to each chapter:
Final Reflections