Want for Nothing

I attended a retirement party for a friend of mine, named Bob, on Saturday night. He is only 5 years older than me, so it kind of made me stop and think about my life in general and what I have accomplished so far. I found myself thinking, “What good have I accomplished, and have I truly made a strong effort to serve society? Or has my focus been more about my own wants and needs rather than the needs of others?”

Bob was in the Marine Corps back in the 60’s and is a full-fledged Vietnam Veteran. Coincidentally, the party on Saturday night, November 10^th, just happened to be the 242^nd birthday of the United States Marine Corps. So… Hoorah! Believe me, I admire Bob for his courage and I have great respect for anyone who has served in the military, police, or fire departments. What they do is extremely dangerous, extremely important, and extremely service oriented since everything they do is about protecting all the rest of us. So every time I see uniformed service personnel, I feel compelled to take a moment to thank them for their service… and they always seem to appreciate it!

Therefore, since today is Veterans Day, it seems only right to celebrate the people that serve our country and our communities. But let me make a point that you might not have considered. You don’t have to be in the military, or in the police or fire department for that matter, in order to serve others. There are hundreds of ways to serve others that will improve lives and make a good difference. Even in your own personal relationships, you can make a huge difference by putting others first and yourself second.

Here is an example. On Sunday my wife agreed to go golfing with me (even though she didn’t really want to) because she knew it would make me happy. As soon as we were done with golf and returned home, she made me a fabulous gourmet dinner. Then today, Monday morning, she cooked me breakfast and then made extra meals that we delivered to her elderly parents. Afterwards, around noon we stopped at a nursery where she picked up a potted plant to take to our Chinese Lady Friend, who is 94 years old and often lonely, but loves to garden. After visiting with our friend, Pao Chi Chen, I had some lighting work to do, so my wife went shopping at the mall, where she purchased a couple of Christmas gifts for our grandchildren. If I were to list all the things I did the last two days to help others, it would be a very short list. So obviously, my wife is the one who understands the importance of living life in the service of others; she is an inspiration to me and truly someone I desire to emulate. I am thankful for the example she sets for me and everyone else she serves.

So what’s my point… When we put ourselves first, we will often spend our days wanting. When we put others first, we will want for nothing!

May you live as long as you want,

And never want as long as you live.

~ Irish Blessing