100 days – Day 24: The Legacy

100 days – Day 24: The Legacy

Today, time caught up with me:  I’ve come to the conclusion that, at the age of 66 (and a half!), I have to make a Will.  So I’ve contacted my solicitor and we’ll get something drawn up next week.

Some people think that they are going to live forever.  But our life is finite and we don’t know when the Man with the scythe  will come knocking on our door.

 

But, a Will it will be!

Whether we have a lot of money or possessions or property to leave, or not – we all leave something……..

 

I saw the new Spiderman film a couple of days ago.

In the movie, at her High School graduation valedictory speech, one of the characters,  Gwen Stacy, the classmate and Peter Parker’s  former girlfriend says:

“It’s easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too, and they’ll be days where you feel all alone, and that’s when hope is needed most, no matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel, you must promise me, that you will hold on to hope. Keep it alive, we have to be greater than what we suffer. My wish for you, is to become hope, people need that, and even if we fail, what better way is there to live. As we look around here today, and all the people who helped make us who we are, I know it feels like we’re saying goodbye, but we will carry a piece of each other, into everything we do next, to remind us of who we are, And who we are meant to be.”

Spider-Man 2

 

 

A couple of days ago, a remarkable young man died – and what a legacy of hope and inspiration he has left us.

Stephen Sutton, raised more than £3.2m  for charity after news of his illness spread on social media.

Stephen was diagnosed with terminal cancer aged 15.

Rather than dwell on his misfortune, the teenager drew up a “bucket list” of things he wanted to achieve before he died.

This led to him completing a skydive and playing drums in front of 90,000 people before the Uefa Champions League final at Wembley last May, among various achievements

 

“In his last few weeks, Stephen Sutton aged only 19,was  unable to process the outpouring of emotion and compassion that he had triggered. He did not want to die, but his thirst for life did not manifest itself in gloomy or depressing ways.

“Cancer sucks, but life is great,” was his motto.

Announcing Stephen’s death, his mother wrote that “her heart is bursting with pride but breaking with pain for my courageous, selfless, inspirational son”, and that the “ongoing support and outpouring of love for Stephen will help greatly at this difficult time, in the same way as it helped Stephen throughout his journey”.

Her pride undoubtedly has much to do with the fact that cancer never defeated Sutton, even though it took his life. He will not just be remembered for his fundraising or his refusal to be defined by his cancer. He inspired people to embrace life, regardless of the obstacles, to be full of compassion, and to look after each other. That is quite a legacy for a 19-year-old boy from Burntwood in Staffordshire”   (the Guardian)

 

Now, THAT is  a legacy!   What a wonderful young man!