People Don't Remember What You Did, They Remember How You Made Them Feel

I watched a woman who loved a horse more than words can say. She loved him from the time she learned to ride and through 16 years of life changes. I saw her sitting in the drooping sunlight under a tree where some newly fallen early autumn leaves started to show themselves, saying the hardest kind of goodbye to a dear friend. It was beautiful and awful all wrapped up into some strange package that comes with death that I'll never fully understand. I looked down the barn aisle and even though it was feeding time, all of the horses had their heads hanging over the stalls. They were all still and quiet.

I was overcome with the reminder that it isn't what you do, or even how you do it that you'll remember when it's all said and done. It's not the accomplishments, ribbons, or losses. All that's left is how it made you feel. How knowing them, being with them, made you feel.

Seeing the goodbye happening in the distance, the glow of orange late-day light around them both, it was clear how they had crossed over some sort of boundary between what is and what isn't and hugged each other's souls until there was nothing more to say save for a mutual sentiment "thank you for letting me know you."

Realize how you feel in a moment, how those around you feel, savor the memories you'll have forever, and love like there is no end to it.