With the passing of Magda, the
thought came up as to what is the best way to remember someone that was
special, caring and giving during their life. What actions can one take
to reflect and remember the best of someone, so that a legacy can be
created? It is not easy to memorialize
someone, to take some real stand in helping to pass on a legacy that reflects some
part, if not all, of his or her life. At her core, Magda was a caring,
giving individual. Someone had to make a decision, and offered up by our
friend, Scott - the decision was given a small test, and the results were
special. Recently, we held the first Annual Magda Memorial Golf Outing,
with a donation made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance in her
memory. This is about Magda, a chance to raise funds then use those funds
to give and help others afflicted with the same disease that took her away from
us. Raising the money was the objective;
golf was merely the vehicle for that cause.
During the warmer weather, one
can drive around and see banners hanging over the street, read in the local
papers and sometimes, hear on the radio, events named for people. These can be nation walks (Relay for Life was
started by one person), a local run, or other event. I always wondered not only who the people
were, but also, how the events got started.
Like all successes, it has to start with an idea. While we all have moments where we are
inspired by a mere thought, that moment of clarity is only there for the
moment. In each of the events, in each
time greatness was achieved, a germ of a thought had to be at the root. It was following the idea, putting a course
of action together, having a sense of purpose and engaging that has caused the
events to become bigger than the original idea.
Most importantly, this is about preserving the memory of someone, where each year, we can share her virtue of giving and helping others. It is interesting to note that in ancient times, leaders would recast history to meet their needs, project (or remove) a legacy by altering the truth for their own benefits. Fortunately, and especially in our case, Magda lived a life that was value oriented, and was always true to her beliefs, so we can draw upon the facts of her life. While there were only a few of us involved this first year, we hope to increase the participation next year; such that in years to come, we can have a positive impact on the field of cancer research to help others so afflicted in Magda’s name. Though saddened by our loss, it will be exciting to help others...
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