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In one of my college classes, assigned reading included “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl. Though the title lacks inclusivity, the book’s contents were unforgettable. After extensive research, Frankl found when people neared the end of their lives, what they needed most to know was that “they mattered.” They wanted to have made a difference. To me, that message was powerful.
In what ways will each of us “have mattered” when we look back on our lives? Through scientific discoveries? By writing moving and imaginative stories? By raising a happy family? By providing for others’ health care? By bringing laughter into many lives? By leading a large staff to provide much-needed services or products? By “being there” for someone else? By showing up for work each day?
It’s up to each of us to make this world a better place. Government, religion, and other institutions can go only so far; the rest is up to us. Let’s be good to each other. Matter!
This message is excerpted from “Take a look at your life and ask yourself, How do you matter? by Cheryl Crockett from the April 5, 2021, blog of the Women of the ELCA.