He was not a very important man, in the common sense of the word. He had never occupied a position of leadership or authority. He had never controlled a large business. He had never possessed great wealth. He was no more than a common man, a dime a dozen. Now he was lying upon a snow white bed, soft and comfortable. His hair was white and disappearing. His skin was faded, pale as parchment. His cheeks were no longer rosy with the energy of his youth. He was thin and light, no longer possessing the strength of his youth.
His chest rose and fell gently, like the swell of the open sea. His eyes still held the light and joy of his younger years, but he did not have the energy to carry it out. His mind, however sharp, was dulled by the weakness of his body. However, he made a difference in many others lives. He made a difference in my life. When he was young, the man enjoyed the outdoors. The boy had spent much of his time playing outdoors, enjoying the feeling of the sun and wind against his skin. The boy’s eyes were bright with joy and happiness.
His cheeks were bright and rosy, gleaming with the energy of his age. The boy had played with many others his age outdoors. Together they had enjoyed the open sun and soft breeze. The young boy became a leader in his group of friends, taking them upon great adventures. Together they learned the values of brotherhood, kindness and cooperation. They had worked together, and achieved great things under his leadership. But he never thought he was very important. He had never become an important leader. He had never controlled a big business.
He had never possessed great wealth. The old, black and white pictures of him were stained, both with age and with tears. His once bright eyes and rosy cheeks, though smudged, were still illuminated from behind. As the boy aged, his eyes only grew brighter with the things he experienced. He went on many adventures, with family and friends, at home and abroad. He and his friends were older now, and though they began to drift apart, they always remained close. He found new friends to fill the holes and for the simple pleasure of knowing more people.
At school, he passed with flying colors, always involved, and always succeeding. As the young man was in his final years of school, he grew yet closer to one of his oldest friends. As they both left school, they married, exchanging rings. The pictures, at the time such an expense, were faded. They too were smudged with tears, ones of many faces. Despite all his successes, the man did not see himself as important. He had never occupied a position of great leadership or authority. He had never controlled a large business. He had never been wealthy.
As the young man aged, his eyes, although still bright, were dimmed by the experiences of his life. His skin still tanned, was lightened after so many years indoors. His cheeks were still rosy with energy and happiness . He had become stronger with age, both in body and in mind. He became the head editor of a nationwide magazine. Although a small company, the magazine it published was read by both adults and youth of all ages. Every day, he rose with the sun in order to manage the next edition of this magazine. Every day he would return home, only to rise again the next day.
It was long, monotonous work, but he did not find it so. He always took pleasure in working with his fellow workers, calling them his friends, with them calling the man theirs. He inspired them to be kind, cooperate and join in brotherhood. When he did not work, he found joy in working with children. He taught the same ideals he had learned in his youth- brotherhood, kindness and cooperation. He taught them how to enjoy life while still being responsible. He taught them to be good children, and greater adults. He taught them morals and values, principles and justice.
He taught them all that he knew, in order to make the next generation better off. Still, the man did not think himself as important. He had never occupied a position of great leadership. He had never controlled a big business. He had never possessed great wealth. The pictures of him were always happy, always filled with joy. No matter the task in the smudged and stained photos, he had always set out with a smile on his face and joy in his eyes. The man had taught me how to be a good boy, and a great man. He had forever changed my life, along with so many others.
The old man, lying in a snow white bed, never thought of himself as important. The old man had never occupied a position of great leadership or authority. The old man had never controlled a large business. The old man had never possessed great wealth. The old man never realized he did not need to possess those things to be a great man. He had touched the lives of so many others. He had shown people, no matter the age, how to be a good man, and an even better person. He left behind a legacy he had never truly comprehended, now only stored in smudged and stained photographs.
The old man’s thin white hair fluttered in the gentle breeze. His pale, parchment skin shone in the sun through the open window. Despite the thinness of his body, the old man still seemed to hold an aspect of strength. His eyes, once bright with an inner light, were now closed. The chest of the old man lay still. The old man never considered himself to be important. He had never occupied a position of great authority, controlled a large business, or possessed great wealth. He never realized his most important contribution was the differences he made in the lives of others.