I recently read a passage from Meriwether Lewis’s journal, written on his thirty-first birthday. He felt he had done too little with his life and wanted to make better use of the years he had left. At 68, I sometimes feel that way myself.
Thinking about Howard, who passed away last Sunday, has made me look at that a little differently. Most of us probably have things we wish we had done differently or accomplished along the way. But we can also overlook the good we have done and the difference we have made to other people.
Howard was a very good man. He spent years teaching and coaching, working with people through Farm Bureau, and serving his church and community. He loved Carolyn and his family. The recognition he received from Calico Rock says a lot about how people felt about him.
But one of the things I remember most is the attention he gave our daughter, Sara, when she was a toddler, about 40 years ago. He made time for her and made her feel special. Sara loved him like an uncle. That may have seemed like a small thing to Howard, but it meant a lot to her and to us. We still remember it all these years later.
I think that says a lot about Howard and about what makes a great life. We can look at someone’s career, accomplishments, and honors, and Howard had plenty of those. But we also remember how that person treated us and our children.
I don’t know what Howard might have wished he had done differently. I do know that he gave people plenty of reasons to be glad they knew him.
Howard lived a great life. He was loved, he made a difference, and he will be missed. I am thankful we knew him.
https://www.eddiesfamilyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/howard-jeffery
