A Life Well Lived

The past couple weeks I have been pondering a little bit about mortality and the value of a life well lived. My opa (grandpa) and an older man I grew close to on my mission, Brother Craft both passed away at the end of February. They had both been ill - in different ways, but both were ready to pass on. They lived very different lives, but in the end saw that theirs' each was a life well lived.

Attending the funerals and thinking of the many memories I have of these two men, but especially my opa has made me think about what constitutes a life will lived. What can we do that will allow us to live a happy life, bless the lives of those around us and then depart this life in peace? My opa knew the answer to these questions and lived them. He wasn't perfect; none of us are, but he was a selfless, kind man who has blessed my life (and many others) forever. His life was full of challenges and defining moments; the decisions that he made during those times shaped his life to become a life will lived. Our lives work the same way. We are faced with various situations and how we choose to respond to those define who we are and shape us and those around us.

How are others shaped by our decisions? My life was shaped by many of Opa's decisions. Among the big ones are his joining the Church, his fleeing East Germany and moving to America, his serving a mission in Austria and corresponding with and then marrying Oma, his decision to be involved in his grandchildren's life, and his selfless service in whatever was needed of him.