A new book is hot off the press. Its title is "I Had an Extraordinary Life." The author is Eddie.
Some posts ago I talked about a book by Rabbi Steve Leder called "For You When I'm Gone: Twelve Essential Questions to Tell a Life Story." I posed the 12 questions to Eddie after he received his cancer diagnosis. He dictated his answers to me, I typed, and then I added some questions of my own. The collection of his responses, along with lots of pictures, comprise the new book that now graces my coffee table.
I urge everyone to consider doing this. It's truly one of the most special gifts we've given our kids and grandkids. It's an ethical will, really... a way to remember Eddie, yes, but also his prescription for how to live a happy and meaningful life.
Rabbi Leder's questions include things like: What was your biggest failure? What is love? When was a time you led with your heart? What do you regret? What makes you happy? How do you want to be remembered? I added questions about his childhood, his travels, work, his family, his sense of humor, etc.
I'll share a couple excerpts.
What makes me happy?
I am happy spending time with my family, my friends and my dog. I am especially happy if that time is at the beach.
I am happy when I am serving others. What comes from the heart, reaches the heart.
I know it’s weird, but I am happy watching the weather channel and preparing income tax returns.
I am happy going to hardware stores and grocery stores.
The greatest happiness I have ever experienced is life with my wife and the birth of our children.
I am happy celebrating the accomplishments of my children and grandchildren and my lovely wife, Gloria.
I am happy to wait.
I am happy to help.
I am happy to work hard.
I am happy to see, to hear, to feel, to listen.
I am happy to be alive.
What do I regret?
I regret that it took me until I was old to know the value of being fully present. I feel like I missed a lot. I stressed a lot, too. I worried about the past. I worried about the future. I worried about things I had no control over. I can say it didn’t help. It was Eleanore Roosevelt who said, 'Today is a gift. That’s why they call it the present.' I’m trying to do better. I’ve learned just how precious each day is.
About my father:
My dad was big in stature and big in my eyes. I looked up to him. He was honest, had a big smile and easy laugh, and was always willing to help me with any problem I had. He had a lot of tools, and he knew how to use every one of them. He was strong. No one in the family could beat him in arm wrestling. As a kid, I never understood why he didn’t have to get new shoes. I’d keep outgrowing mine, but he never had to get bigger ones. No matter, his shoes were always hard to fill.
There are 100 pages in this book, and they contain much to smile about, laugh about and cry about. I love having it, and I know my kids and grandkids will treasure it more and more as time goes on. I encourage you to think about creating your own version. Working on it gave Eddie and me the opportunity to reminisce about our life together, and I even learned some new things about him.
Here are a few of the spreads.
