He left her with important wisdom by the way he lived; he is gone now and she hopes to honor his life by writing a book, a memoir of their life together. Father and daughter. He has been gone about a year.

She is a colleague and we held a virtual chat the other day to talk about writing and publishing books. This would be her first, though she has loved writing and dreamed of publishing a book since she was a kid.

“How old was he when he died?” I asked.

“64.”

My heart missed a beat. I turned 64 a few months ago, and two of my sons are older than she is.

“I’m sorry…” I said.

She smiled politely. “He was healthy. Strong. Then he was diagnosed with brain cancer and died not long after. But he lived life. Some people wait until they retire to live their dreams. My father didn’t. He lived fully and sought his dreams.”

Their story provokes important considerations:  How is the way we live our life an example to others? Are we living or waiting for some change in the future to begin living our dreams, using our talents, learning new skills, seeking new adventures? How do we honor and celebrate those who positively influence us?

I believe she will complete the book; it will be her way of letting her dad know that she learned from his example, and his love.