“It’s freezing cold outside. Put on your shoes or you will catch your death of pneumonia.....” When my kids were little, my dad lived behind us in a back house in our backyard. Many times our kids would run out to ‘Poppa’s’ barefooted, yes, even in the freezing cold winter! One of their favorite ingrained memories from my dad is when he would say to them that if they did not wear shoes, they would get sick. It’s funny the things that the next generation will remember. Or even those around us. How would others characterize you? It could be one little, seemingly, small saying (put on your shoes or you will get pneumonia!) or action that others around you will remember.  We can be remembered as one who huffed and puffed when life threw us some lemons or one who turned those lemons into lemonade. Our children and others around are watching and learning from us everyday. It is true that actions speak everyday to those around us--our choices, priorities, reactions to external circumstances. How do we choose between spouse time, kid time, work time, the things facing us every single morning and those that are down the street? What do you want to be remembered for? Start by working our ways backwards. Begin with the END in mind. We need to be intentional about the things we say and do, and then we can be on the road to being remembered by the way we lived--hopefully embracing each day and being “characterized” by those things we hold dear! My dad really did believe that not wearing shoes would make you sick. I’m just not sure he would realize how much my kids remember his saying that! But they also remember someone who loved them dearly, valued them as individuals, cared for them deeply ...... and also, he really didn’t want them to get sick!!