I wasn't close to Michelle, but when I received news of her passing, it stirred something deep in me. It's a quiet grief that lingered long after the news settled. It reminded me how one person's kindness can ripple through your life and leave marks you only notice years later.
Michelle came into my life over 20 years ago when I was at my lowest and at a pivotal moment of my life. I barely knew her; she was literally a stranger, but she opened her door and her heart to me. She took me in and let me stay in her home for several days. She drove me around, and for a few precious days, she made me feel seen and safe. She introduced me to her wonderful family, and they welcomed me as if I belonged. In that moment she became a safe place for me when my world felt fractured.
She didn't have to do that because we weren't close friends. But there she was, extending a hand when I needed it most. Looking back, I can see how God placed her in my path like a lit candle in the dark. Her kindness changed something deep in my heart that changed the course of my life.
Since then, that memory has quietly shaped the way I move through the world. I made a promise to myself that I would pay that kindness forward in my own quiet ways. Michelle showed me that even the smallest gestures can leave lasting ripples far beyond what we might ever see.
Although I didn't attend her wake service, I watched it live on Facebook. The hall was full with friends and family grieving and also celebrating her life. Eulogies painted a picture of someone who lived fully, who loved deeply, and who touched countless lives. And before she passed, Michelle left behind a message that touches my heart. Here's an excerpt:
"My dearest friends and kindred spirits, do not cry, do not grieve, do not be sad for me, I have already taken flight—gracefully! The beauty of life lies in its fullness, to love and to hate, to laugh and to cry, to sing and to speak, to run and to dance, to journey through this world with passion and abandon, to stand against injustice, to live boldly and fiercely. I have lived, truly lived, and I leave this world without regret. Yet the hardest part is leaving behind my family and all of you. My heart is bound to you by love, and it is love that makes parting so bittersweet. My beloved ones, be brave. Live with strength, with purpose, with an unyielding spirit. Do not waste this precious journey on earth! Though imperfect, this world holds endless surprises of joy, sorrow, and wonder—do not let them pass you by."
Her words are full of grace and clarity. It is a farewell I believe most of us never get the chance to write. It really made me think, what if life doesn't give us that opportunity? What if we leave suddenly without a chance to say goodbye?
That question stays in my mind. Not everyone gets to leave behind a final message, but perhaps that's why we should live in a way that doesn't leave room for regret. We should make sure our love is felt in the present, not just left for the end. We can write our goodbyes not in a single letter before death but in the way we live, so that if tomorrow never comes, the people who matter already know what they meant to us.
Michelle’s passing made me think deeply about the kind of legacy I want to leave behind. While I may not touch lives in the same immediate way she did, I hope my art and words—through my blog and poetry—will be my offering. I want my way of self-expression to become a soft place for someone else to land.
We don't always get to see the ripples we create in others' lives. But I believe they exist somewhere because Michelle showed me that. And I hope in my own way, I can leave behind something meaningful: a legacy built not on outstanding achievements but on quiet truths.
Maybe for some of us, it's not about how many people pay tribute at our funerals. Maybe it's about the small, beautiful things we leave behind—kindness, goodness, or the moments when someone reads you words and feels understood, or when your art brings them a sense of belonging. And that's the kind of legacy I hope to leave when my time comes.
Handwritten draft of this post.
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My deepest condolences 😔. Michelle touched lives with her compassion and kindness, and left a big impact to your life especially to those who are very close to her. It's amazing how people like her thinks and acts the way God wanted us to. Imagine a person offered a helping hand without minding if she's close to that certain person or not ☺️. Truly an Angel 😇. I can say that you cherished the short time you had with her and learned a lot from her kindness. Even in her last breath, she made sure to comfort the people whom she have left 🥺❣️. I'm not ready to die, no one is. But I want to make her as an inspiration to leave a beautiful goodbyes before I finally rest eternally.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you felt inspired by her ❤️
My sympathy. It's never easy to lose someone kind and touched our lives. Your reflection on your impact is beautiful. I believe your art and words pour into will be your legacy, one that speaks to the hearts of those who come across it.
Thank you. We all can think of how we want to be remembered and I hope I can leave behind the best of me instead of the not so good stuff 😅
Absolutely. What matters most is how we make people feel, the warmth, support we give, showing honesty and kindness 😍
@coloringiship my condolences❤ I know how's your feelings nowadays. The closest person to me who died 5 years ago was my grandfather and like your friend he doesn't have any final message for me but his teachings became a legacy.
I'm so sorry for your loss. Your granddad was a great man, and I believe what he taught you became his "final message" that stays with you for life.
You handwrote a version of this post? Very cool.
I have a friend like that who wasn't a particularly close friend, but had a huge impact on me. When she died, I went to her funeral (she was the girlfriend of my best mates brother) and there was a huge turn out - she was only 40 and died of cervical cancer. She had a huge, huge impact on the world because she was so bright and kind.
Sometimes you don't have to be close friends with someone to be impacted by their passing.
Yes, I handwrote all of my posts 😅
It's so heartbreaking when so many people died young. My friend died of colon cancer. She fought courageously for 6 years before it took her life. It was so heartbreaking to watch, but she was a joyful fighter.
I am so sorry for your loss. She seems like a really great person and left a great impact in your life. This is what is really inevitable here on Earth, nothing is ever certain. So we live every moment like our last. Make every moment count. They never really left us anyway. She will always be with you in your memory and in your heart. Again, my condolences to all of you that she left behind.
Thank you. She was a wonderful person and touched countless lives. She taught the Bible and had guided countless people to know God and finally got them baptized.
My condolences to you and te bereaved family, we are just a traveller on this world what matters most is what Legacy we would leave to those we would leave behind.Our Legacy would be the only reason people would remember us. So for that lets make to try making a difference and make sure our LEGACY is worth doing,worthy to share and worthy to be remember..
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, we can all think of the kind of legacy we want to leave behind before it's too late.
⋆ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇᴀsᴛ ᴀsɪᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ
⋆ sᴜʙsᴄʀɪʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ
⋆ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴠᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɪʟ
⋆ ᴅᴇʟᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʟɪɴᴋs 25 ʜᴘ⇾50 ʜᴘ⇾100 ʜᴘ⇾500 ʜᴘ⇾1,000 ʜᴘ