A Legacy of Love

This is always a special time of reflection for me because it was on July 31 eight years ago that my wife, Shahinool, passed away.

I always knew in the time I was with her that I was lucky. I married up in so many ways. And even today I still feel her influence and I think often of how profoundly this extraordinary woman helped shaped me. She taught me how to truly love, how to feel appreciation, how to forgive, and the importance of being humble (I admit I am still working hard on that last one).

She also gave us the gift of family, by being an exceptional mother to our two incredible sons. She spent a lot time instilling the right values in them and shaping them too (I see her influence in them all the time). One of the most important life lessons she wanted to impart to them is the one that is inscribed on her gravestone: Be true to yourself. If you are looking for a guiding principle in life, I don't think you get much purer than that.

I know Shahinool would be immensely proud of the men both of her boys have become. This year, on this poignant anniversary, I can particularly feel her presence as we prepare for the marriage this month of our oldest son Kaleim to his wonderful bride Liz, another exceptional woman who is beautiful inside and out.

I know Shahinool is looking on with pride. I think it's worthwhile to remember from time to time as we go through our hectic lives that, in the end, you take nothing with you. But you can leave a lot behind. You can leave a legacy of love. You can live on in the minds of those closest to you forever, just as my boys and I will have Shahinool with us for as long as our hearts continue to beat. You can be an enduring source of inspiration. It starts by having a life that is driven by pure, unshakeable values.

It starts with being true to yourself.