day 793: Jimmy Durante

"They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. They exult in your righteousness."

Yesterday as we were celebrating a "Super Sunday" in our 1st - 6th Grade Sunday School class, as the kids were coming into the class, we had the classic cartoon of Frosty the Snowman playing. I haven't sat and watched it all the way through in years. You might remember that it starts with the introduction of the narrator, that being Jimmy Durante. For fun, I asked around the room if anyone had ever heard of Jimmy Durante. Of course, none of the kids had. Likely, some of the younger teachers wouldn't have known who he is either. I also suspect that when Mr. Durante voiced that cartoon in 1969 he would never have guessed that kids in the future might not ever remember him, but they would know immediately the voice and character of the narrator from the cartoon. Here we are 42 years later and Mr. Durante's performance remains. Businesses can be the same. 40+ years later we probably won't remember any of the names of the senior members of a business, but the reputation can remain. We never know what we might do today that will stick...forever.

The smallest actions can be the ones that become our legacy. It can be very hard, if not impossible, for us to know at the time. We can only pray that what will have the greatest impact will be a positive action, word, or impact we have on another. We have a few days left in this year and as we think back on what would be the highlights and the legacy of this past year, are we feeling good about that? There is still time to clear up areas of disagreement or bad feelings. We want, as best we can, to start next year strong and with positive momentum. Our jobs are full of moments to pass along positive recognition or help another person around us. Whatever it is, consider that this week, the one that we exchange many positives is also a week to shore up our relationships. This could be the week that for someone around you, you will be setting a long-lasting memory of who you are to them.

Reference: Psalm 89:16 (New Living Testament)