What Goes Around Comes Around

I believe that what goes around comes around.

My great grandparents, who had seven children, thirty-three grandchildren, twenty-five great grandchildren, and three foster children, were phenomenal people. Day after day, they endured many hardships and struggles: providing day-after-day, supplying food and clothing, getting where they need to be and many more, yet they did it amazingly. What made them phenomenal was not that they had so many family members to care for, but their passion to take care of other people. Even strangers.

It was like a natural reflex to them. When they heard of some one living on the street or struggling, we all knew they were about to be picked up and taken care of. These people, who were often complete strangers, would be fed, clothed and would witness the words of Christ in action every day they stayed in their home.

As my papa’s age increased, his health decreased. After having both of his legs amputated, he passed away at age 77. We all think it is because he never fully recovered.

His funeral, held on Friday, October 14, 2005, was what led me to my philosophy in the first place. In the biggest chapel I’ve seen, we still needed more room for all the people who attended. As I looked around me, I saw not only faces of family members and friends; I saw faces of strangers and locals of Springfield, Missouri. They weren’t family or even friends of the family. People, young and old alike, to thank and pay their respects to the people who helped them during their times of need.

Like a huge celebration, we danced and sang, listened to speeches and stories and prayed and cried. To this day, I still remember looking over at my Papa’s coffin, actually seeing his body bumping up and down from all the movement and sound in the chapel and thinking “Wow, this man is really loved.”

For as long as I can remember I have been taught to treat others the way I wanted to be treated. I really didn’t pay much attention to this though because I thought it was just another one of those dumb parent sayings, that is, until the funeral. It showed me that if you are good to others, it will pay off in the long run.

My great-grandma really struggled after his death; still today she struggles with depression. Yet she still lives to take care of others. Even strangers.

Their desire and love to fulfill the needs of others is one of many reasons they are loved and respected by so many. Just doing something as little as caring for someone can do so much. All people really want is to be loved and taken care of; this is exactly what my great-grandparents did. I believe that if you are good to others, they will in-turn, be good to you.