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When someone you've never met impacts your life

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By design#860
Dolores was someone who impacted my heart and yet, I never met her.  I learned about her at her memorial service, where her family gathered and shared loving memories and anecdotes about who she was and how she impacted their lives. 

Her children and grandchildren conveyed who she was through stories filled with humor, tears and  tenderness.  Her unique and authentic qualities were a common thread throughout the evening.  Each shared memory drew a clear picture of who Dolores was, and as the stories unfolded I began to get a sense of her spirit and personality.

Dolores not only sought joy, but she gave it away, freely.  It was a big part of who she was, and it was a significant trait she shared with her family and friends in abundance.  Her life was built upon it, and she communicated this to her family by telling them they each had a choice in life.  That each day, they had the ability to choose joy.  To her, it would be one of the most important daily choices anyone could make.  And that message struck a chord in my heart.  Each day, I could make an important decision to choose joy.

Another beautiful thing that stood out about her life was that she was a promoter. She thought the best in everyone she met, and she never hesitated to elevate others and to highlight the good in them.  She made some of the grandchildren blush with the way she would brag about them to others.  But that was who she was.  She did this with everyone around her, never drawing attention to herself, but to the others around her.  When you really think about it, it is when you focus on others and get your eyes off yourself, that your own heart becomes full.  Being a promoter is a huge element that cultivates joy.

It was easy to see that Dolores lived a celebratory life.   Story after story, I learned how she lived life as though there was something special in each day.   That didn’t mean life was without struggle or challenge.  That meant that although we might face challenges, we can still move forward and choose.  We can choose to keep moving, and as long as we are moving, we are healing and growing.  Through it all, each day was a celebration.  Another way to welcome joy into our lives. 

There were other beautiful stories and traits shared by her family, but these three things really touched my heart.  To choose joy, to promote others and to celebrate every day.  I never met Dolores, but at the end of the service, I felt like I did.

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.  Philemon 1:7



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