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| Harlan Pflederer September 29, 1917 - February 19, 2012 |
I'm sitting in an airport terminal as I await my return to Brazil, the memories of the past week tumbling around in my head. The joy of reconnecting with friends and family as well as the mixed feelings associated with losing a loved one who truly lived a life worth celebrating. My grandfather, Harlan Pflederer, passed away at the age of 94. The strongest of my many thoughts and emotions is an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
I shared at the funeral about a memory of my grandpa telling me as a kid, while watching sports on TV, that he roots for whoever is losing. It's clear to me now that he also had a similar outlook in other areas of his life. He was drawn to the underdogs, the struggling, the weak. Everyone that knew him, it seems, has a story of how he touched them, often in an hour of need. In fact, over a hundred people have taken the time to share a special memory on a Facebook page set up for him during his final days.
I'm grateful to have spent a week talking about, remembering and honoring my grandpa. I'm grateful as well for all the memories I have of him, many of which involve him doing something to bless others. But more than all, I'm grateful for the legacy he has left. A legacy that draws me forward when I find this Christian life difficult. A legacy not of how to win at this life, but how to embrace what is really important. A legacy that is sobering as I contemplate if I will ever live up to that standard that has been set. But I suppose grandpa would be the first to point out that he was nothing special, just a man who loved his Savior.
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| All of my siblings together for the first time in several years. |
(Last two photo credits go to Angie Puckett Photography)
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