Throughout middle school and elementary school, I was the biggest baseball fan. Anytime the Cardinals had a big game, I had to watch it. I would even fake sick to watch the day games.
Every time I missed school, my Papa would come and watch me. We were both big baseball fans, so it worked out in everybody’s favor. He always showed up to watch the games with me, even if that meant having to stop a day's work.
One thing about my Papa is that he never stopped working, even when it caught up to him. I was around 10 when he was put in the hospital for a hernia. He had been working in the fields for days straight and fell sick. When my family and I went to see him, I remember being disgruntled. The Cardinals were playing, and I was missing it. I remember being short with him and rushing to get out of there.
That was the last time I would ever see my Papa.
He passed away due to surgery complications. At his funeral, the line stretched on for hours. Hundreds of people showed up to express their condolences.
As I grieved, I couldn’t help but think about his last impression of me. People always talk about how first impressions matter a lot, but I’d argue that last impressions matter more. My Papa always showed up for me, even when it meant sacrificing something he loved doing. And the last time I saw him, I was ungrateful and rude.
Years later, I look back on this moment as a turning point in my life. I vowed from that day on that I never wanted to leave a negative last impression. Life is valuable and short. It’s not meant to be wasted.
I believe in the power of last impressions – the idea of leaving a lasting positive impact on someone is important to me. Ultimately, my belief in the power of last impressions stems from my desire to live a life of purpose and meaning. By choosing to leave a positive mark on others, I’ll never again have to experience what happened to the person who left a positive mark on me.
