Gregger’s Legacy…Today It Begins

I’ve started writing this post over and over again. I’ve gone in so many different directions. But the same thing keeps coming back to me. I am overwhelmed with the abundance of love and support that overflowed on Sunday for Gregger. Facebook messages, texts, phone calls, collages, and more. It was endless. It is still coming. But the messages had a common bond. And that’s what keeps coming back to me.

One message stated, “ When someone like Greg leaves us, and because of his special personal magnitude of impact in all our lives, it’s like trying to fill a huge universe black hole. So incredibly vast and infinitely impossible to fill!! A true testimony to a spirit that changed all our lives for the better. Thanks, Greg, for making me a better man.”

This was the universal message. His compassion for life and family. The impact he had on so many lives he touched. He never said anything. He never let anyone know when he “did” anything. It was subtle. He was quiet. But he did it. Big or small. And he obviously left his mark on this world.

We can all do it too. Imagine this world if we could all leave such a legacy behind? So for one day, two, three, a month, a year, let’s try to live like Gregger. Let’s share his legacy. Be kind. Compassionate. Listen. It’s the simple things.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

• Smile at a stranger, just because.
• Let cars merge or enter the freeway or busy street- stop road rage.
• If the person behind you at the grocery store has one or two items, let them go ahead.
• Hold the door open for a few people to walk through.
• Give up a parking space. It’s not worth the fight.
• Fill out that survey for a Target or Best Buy employee. It takes a few seconds and means the world to them.
• Help a mother with a stroller, an elderly person with their groceries.
• Send a friend a card, just because.
• Compliment a stranger on their dress, shoes, or smile. It really doesn’t matter as long as it’s sincere.
• Give a hug.

There are hundreds of little ways to make a difference. To do the right thing. The good thing. This is what Gregger did EVERY DAY. This is how he touched people. This is why people are reminded to live just a little better. Be good. Do good. Live good. That is the legacy I think of when I say his name.

So today begins the “Gregger Chain of Goodness.”

Reach out and touch…with your heart, your words. You never know what someone is going through, but a kind word can make a world of difference in a person’s life. It sure made one in mine.