Purpose

Last night I was reading the local Catholic newspaper when I saw an announcement about “The Reverend Nicholas J. Brown”. I was like, “Wow! That’s my son”! The little boy that used to beat me up and jump on me, the little boy I took to wrestling matches, the teen-ager I took to rock concerts, the nervous young man I drove to the seminary six years ago has grown up. It is always a proud moment when your children turn out to be decent human beings. I am fortunate that both of my sons have turned out well. They could not be more different but each has become a good man. Sometimes the dreams and hopes of a parent find fruition in their children. Sometimes when we wonder about the purpose and meaning of our own lives we realize our purpose may be to be someone’s parent. Yesterday I talked a little about purpose. Although we all hope to find our gift, we may never completely understand our purpose. Purpose is sometimes a mystery that we never completely solve. We can live our lives and never fully see or understand how we touch and influence others. We may never know how the way we act, the things we say, or the actions we perform influence others. Hopefully, our lives make a positive difference. I don’t really know what impact I have had on my sons. I take no credit for anything but I hope I have been a positive influence. I am reminded of an article I read earlier in the week that was titled “Be The Kind of Leader That People Are Sad To See Go”. I would take this one step further and say “be the kind of person that people are sad to see go”. Wherever you are, leave it a better place.