He was a battered man. He was an old man. He was an old, battered man. His name was Oliver, he had a wrinkly face that seemed to have faced both joyful and disheartening moments. He had a face that has faced cold nights and warm summers, weddings and funerals; all that life had to offer.
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His white beard now grew freely and was unkempt, giving the idea of a man who no longer cared what people thought of him. Oliver carried an air of contention around him as he went by his days. He had managed to provide for his wife and his 4 kids as best as he could. He had done most of the things he wanted in his life, and even if there were a few left, there wasn't much he could do now.
Recently a troubling thought recurred to him several times. This thought was all about a question that most people fail to ask themselves. He was troubled by the question; "What mark has he left in this world?"
Though old on the outside, his soul had withstood all the battering that life had to offer and was young as ever. Always exuding confidence everywhere he went, he was the darling of the old as well as the young. Younger adults always sought his wise counsel. He unselfishly helped where he could. In him, children found a caring man and a playmate, who always made them happy.
Every day, the thought kept crossing his mind. His children as well as grandchildren visited, and he would play with them, but the thought wouldn't leave him. What impression would they have of him?
Oliver tried his best to conceal his feelings of dissatisfaction with himself, since he could have achieved more. He masked this by focusing more on his achievements. He also sought support from his family, though indirectly. It was hard to believe that this great man (to them he was), would ever doubt himself.
Each day, the voice grew more profound and thereby silencing all his other thoughts. It troubled him so much that he started wishing that he could die soon.
Once on a warm cloudy noon, he took a walk in the pine forest around his home. Some hikers walking nearby asked to take a picture of him, and he made a face with his tongue sticking out. A breath of the fresh forest air quenched his old lungs allowing him to admire the life that he had lived.
At once, he knew that he had lived a good life. He knew that he had definitely left a great mark in the world and a lot of people would surely have good impression about him. Not many had the happiness he felt. He was a fulfilled man and that made him so happy when he finally took his last breath.
Have we ever wondered what impression people would have about us once we live this world? What mark have you left in the lives of people? These are questions we should always ask ourselves. If these questions can bother us, I believe we will always find a way to make sure we do the right things always,and not only that, we should also live a life that will leave a good impression in the lives of people.
People loved Oliver because of the kind of life he lived. Can we say the same about the life we live?
I've been thinking about this and thought of sharing it as a wake-up call to everyone. I hope this gets to us, so it could motivate us to make amends.
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