Legacy

This morning I woke up early and went out to visit my grandparents. They're buried at King David Cemetery in Bensalem. It's probably the place I feel most at peace. The cemetery is set back towards the woods, it's quiet, and there are never any disturbances. It's a serene place and I get some of my best thinking done there.

When I went out this morning, I couldn't help but think about all the things I wanted to tell my grandparents. Until the day they died, I would always call my grandparents whenever anything good or exciting was happening in my life. It didn't matter it was as simple as getting a good grade on my report card or the day I told them I got into college, they were always ecstatic and loved to hear about what was happening in my life. With so much change and so many positive things happening in my life, I long for the days when I could pick up the phone or take the short 10 minute drive over to their house.

My grandparents have made such an enormous impact on my life, and the lessons they taught me I carry with me to this day and will forever. Instead of being able to tell them about my life, I try to honor them by living each day in a way that would make them proud. Sometimes I come up short, but I know if I strive to reach that goal everyday, I will be a better person in the long run.

I also thought quite a bit about legacy while I was at the cemetery today. Not only did my grandparents teach me so much of what I know about life, but they also gave me a name. Today was the first time I looked at their stone, and really focused in on "Kaplan." That's my name on that stone, and it's an honor and a responsibility to carry that name forward in a positive manner.

One day, hopefully long into the future, I'm going to be buried in that cemetery. My name, first and last, will be on a stone. It is my hope, my wish, that one day, my grandchildren will come and visit that stone, and remember all the things I taught them about life and proudly carry on our name. If that day arrives, my time on this earth will have been worthwhile, and my own grandparents' legacy will live on. 

Kaps

Luther Vandross - Dance with My Father

The Insomniac Post

It's 3:35am on a Saturday morning and I can't sleep. I was just out for a night of drinking, passed out way too early, and my body is having a great time fucking with me...but I'm having a moment of clarity. It's a really odd feeling, but everything seems very clear to me right now. Priorities, what's truly important in life - they're right in front of my face. It's not that I'm thinking about things differently or that my priorities have changed, they just seem to be confirmed and I'm feeling them deeper right now.

All the stress I put myself through at work - useless. It's going to kill me and it doesn't do anyone any good. I had a new team member tell me yesterday, "I've never seen you look so calm on a Friday." If I normally look stressed on a Friday, I don't even want to know what I look like the rest of the week. Instead, I need to focus on people - the relationships. In all aspects of life, those are the most important. The impact you can have on another person (both good and bad) can be so profound, and those interactions need to be maximized to provide as many positive outcomes as possible.

So what's really important? Smiling. Laughing. Living for the moment. Making people feel good about themselves. When I look back years from now, those will be the things I remember, not the stress and grind of the day to day. 

I realize this is a rambling mess and a hangover is starting to kick in so I need to go back to bed. I needed to get this down on paper, because these moments don't come around very often.

Kaps

Song of the Day: Jay-Z - Moment of Clarity