When I Depart...

When I depart, don't bother thinking about me.

Think about those l left behind, for I will be far away by then.

Think about my family, my friends, my colleagues.

The people who are missing me the most.

Care for those I was helping before I went away.

The souls who depended on me for something.

Reach out to the ones who miss my company.

The idlers who found comfort in my presence.

Be there for those who valued my advice.

Those fools who cared about my opinions.

Me?

I will be long gone by then.

My responsibilities will have become someone else's tasks.

My worries will have been resolved - one way or another.

My issues will have become inconsequential - at least to me.

If, by some chance there is a Heaven, that will not be something to care about any longer.

Either I managed to be a good person or not.

Those dice will have already been thrown, my verdict read, my sentence signed.

I will be purging my sins in Hell or, with some luck, I'll find myself in Heaven drinking whiskey and playing golf with long lost friends.

Maybe, if I'm really lucky, I will finally be able to answer the eternally annoying question of "What are we doing in this Earth to begin with!?"

When I'm finally gone... Give a big hug to my wife, good advice and guidance to my kids, take my dog out for long walks, and water my flowers generously.

When I depart, don't waste time thinking about me. If you cared about me, please look out for those I left behind.