I was reminded today of how much effect we can have on others: friends, family, strangers and acquaintances. Since it was the last weekday before school, I took Lukas and Annika to Kobe, one of their favorite restaurants for sushi. We’ve known the head waitress, Karen, for decades. She’s watched my kids grow up and their taste for sushi become more adventurous. I knew she didn’t know about Erik’s death, so I told her. Not sure why, but I always feel compelled to tell those whose lives Erik has crossed, even though I know it might make them sad or uncomfortable. I want them to know how horrible I feel; I want them to know what a huge hole his death has left in my heart and in the world. I want them to know that he’s a soul that should never be forgotten.My younger kids aren’t terribly happy about this, but…

Anyway, after I told Karen what happened to Erik, she was floored. The news was beyond unfathomable to her. She remembered how friendly and chatty he was when he and my daughter, Michelle, had lunch at the restaurant. She also told me that she often saw Erik hanging out at a nearby Starbucks, and they would sit and talk, sometimes for hours. Karen was most struck by how friendly and willing to listen and talk Erik was. Whenever he spotted her, he would approach her, make her feel loved and at ease, and they would sit together and talk a blue streak. For Erik, there were no strangers in the world.

That said, it’s important to spread love to as many as we can before we die. We do make an impression, even to strangers. And sometimes we do so in a matter of hours, minutes or seconds. We all have the power to become catalysts in the lives of those whose paths we cross.