When you die who will cry

I went to a Baithak (a funeral meeting) recently hoping to stand by my friend in quiet support. But as I entered the venue, it suddenly didn’t feel like a solemn occasion, it was more like a social gathering. People stopped each other to say hello, others began to speak of a recent event we all were at. By the time we made our way to the family, we had all made their loss trivial. Some had laughed, some had hifi-ed, some had hugged and kissed in the air. It all made me wonder have we lost our capacity to be compassionate.

I don’t prefer to go for these meets anymore. I rather meet the family in person. Standing by someone cannot be a mere formality but should be a heartfelt acknowledgment of a person’s pain.

But this makes you wonder, who will cry when you die? Who will come to the funeral in tears and who will feel the absence of your presence?

Our earning of a lifetime is the respect and gratitude others feel toward us. Our children, our parents, our family, our teammates, our employees, the society and all the people we could have touched, how do they view us? What impact have we made in their lives?

Here’s my two cents, question yourself…

as a parent, did I do my job right? Was I able to guide without fear and love unconditionally? As a leader, did I lead with clarity, or in trying to win hearts did I dissuade my team from achieving their personal best? As a member of society, was I able to leave the world a better place, at least better than how I found it? Question yourself… are you truly making an impact?

When someone comes to console your family, will they have tears in their eyes or a social smile? I do hope I leave the world with a few hearts that remember me, feel for me and come to my home to tell my children that their mom was important for them. I hope the wealth I create in my life are people who will cry when I die.