Stories of Kindness from Around the World

My Neighbor's Encounter With Death


--by pandalo, posted Jan 29, 2008

My neighbor was diagnosed with Leukemia.  He was told that he didn't have many days to live.


While most would get depressed, he was as happy as ever!  I was confused and decided to ask him why.

He was gardening when I finally asked the question.  With a smile, he responded, "Why be angry at the world when we are blessed with the knowledge of our death?  Why not embrace it give back something to our society?"

The next day, I read in the newspaper that he was among the many who volunteered to help out the poverty stricken people in South Africa.

He was already packing when I entered his house.  He said he want to go and enjoy the last few moments of his life helping people.   With his usual wisdom, he also noted, "It's better to live a life happily in the short amount of time then to live a bitter long life." 

Something about that sentence, and who he was, I just started crying.  I wept.

It has been two months since he went.   Along the way, he was kind enough to send me many postcards and photos of the people he met and helped.  No doubt, he was looking happier than ever before.

Today, I received a letter from his colleagues.  He had passed away.  Tears rolled down my eyes, but I knew he must be smiling wherever he was.

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Readers Comments

michelelpurcel wrote: What a special person he was! Awesome person to look up to and try to share his ideas.
michelelpurcel wrote: Wonderful story. :) he was incredible. I do believe that he was teaching everyone including us how to live. So even though we didn't know him personally i am sure those of us who have read this will think about him and probably tell his story to shed his light.
cinnamonhead wrote: thank you for sharing this wonderful story, we should all stop and smell the roses and pick a few along the way!!
Lovey wrote: Hi all, i live in South Africa and i am blessed to be in a country of love and giving. We have our hardships but life goes on. Our challenges are great and it makes us be there for the next person and that is our neigbours. If we all predict good things in life, life would not be a challenge and a rope to jump over. I would like to die as your caring neighbour did...give all you have and die with a good consious.There not many out there that will do as your brave hearted friend, we know that he is another star that is shinning upon us.
Ann Nguyen wrote: How beautiful it is to be able to give yourself in service of others. What a wonderful gift it is to be able to look beyond your own suffering to help others.
Thank you for sharing.
Janet Mila wrote: Wow!! What a big hearted man. The world is a little less bright now he's gone. Too often I just think about my own aches and pains, how inspiring to hear of someone who gave until the ery end! What a fantastic mind set! I'm going to do better from now on.
Kirsten wrote: Your neighbor seemed like a really generous and down to earth person. It's people like him who inspire me to give back to society and put more smiles on peoples faces!
Rajendra Shah wrote: Excellent.It is well said that if u make whoever comes in contact with u happy than god is happy with u.Great motivating story
cabbage wrote: Thank you so much for sharing your story--even with your loss of such a special friend and neighbor, you have given us all a precious gift....
I admire people whose actions speak what is in their hearts--not always easy to do.
brighteyes wrote: What a wonderful gift for you to have such a neighbor and a wise man sharing his experience, wisdom, positive attitude and legacy with you. He has enriched your life and many others....I do want to leave a legacy of love, caring, sharing, kindness and will take his advise and wisdom to heart.

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