Famous Last Words

Have you ever thought about the last conversation you had with someone you loved? Did you gossip together? Did you argue? Did you rush through your conversation? Did you say “I love you?”

Unless you never had another chance to speak to that person, you may not remember the answers to these questions,. If you were fortunate enough to have a chance to say “goodbye” to a loved one, then you probably do remember your last talk. But if you lost someone suddenly, you may not.

It’s been almost 10 years since the sudden, unexpected death of my older sister. I barely remember our last conversation – it was “generic” at best. I’ve re-lived my conversations with her and others  who have passed suddenly, but it’s always the same… “What was the last thing we said?”

I was reminded of this last week when a friend died suddenly and I perused through her recent Facebook postings. There were no “re-post this if you agree…” or “my boss gets on my nerves” or “I have a headache” posts. Instead, there was a YouTube video of “How Great Thou Art” by Carrie Underwood and loving photos of her first grandchild, only a few months old.

Just as we should all pay more attention to our conversations with those we love, we should also think twice before we post on Facebook or Twitter…what if this is the last thing people hear from me? Is this how I want to be remembered?

What will YOUR “famous last words” be? They may not go down in history as a quote from someone famous, but they just might be something a loved one can hold on to for a lifetime.

With my sister, Cathy, the night I was crowned Miss Greenville)