Joseph J. Mazzella
 
A Kind Life
 

'A little bit of kindness goes a long way.' If there is any phrase that rings true, it is this one. I can remember a few years ago attending the funeral of a friend of mine. We had grown up together, played football and basketball together, attended school together, and in the summer gone to 4-H camp together. We had even worked in the same place as adults for a short time.

 

He was one of the kindest and most fun loving souls I had ever known. He always was willing to help anyone in need. He was always there to offer you a smile, a laugh, and a gentle joke to cheer you up. He was always a source of joy in the lives of everyone who knew him. His kindness, good humour, and happy spirit touched us all.

 
 

I can remember the sadness that filled me when I learned that he had died so young. I can remember the heaviness in my heart as I drove to his wake. That heaviness, however, lifted some and a smile came to my face when I saw the line waiting to get into the funeral home. It stretched down the street for as far as I could see. I can remember smiling too when I found out that his funeral had to be held at a local football field to hold all the lives he touched with his kindness and love. That field was later renamed after him. What a fitting tribute to a life that touched so many in such a short time.

 

The great poet Washington Irving wrote, 'A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles'. That was my friend's heart. That was my friend's life. That is why I ask God everyday to fill me with love, joy, and kindness so that I can share them with the world. If I only touch half the souls my friend did then I will consider my life well lived. May all of us live lives of such love and kindness. May all of us touch countless souls with our joy, laughter, light, and oneness with God.

  Joseph J. Mazzella
   
 
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