It
is the custom of many fraternal societies to come together once each year to remember
and honor those friends and brothers who have been called from their earthly labors.
The winter and summer solstices are good times for this duty, as both are
symbolic of death and re-birth and the cycle of life. In every true brotherhood
of men, it is an act of fraternal courtesy to remember those we have lost whom
we personally knew and most admired in life.
But
this comradely connection is true of many thoughtful men, even beyond the
ceremonies of fraternity. Men remember the men who are no longer with them who made
the biggest difference in their lives.
These
were the men who showed us what integrity looks like. They taught us that our
own transformation to an improved being, fully capable of making a difference
in the lives of others, is up to us; and can be realized in the example we
leave for others.
In
our fraternal society, those special few who have come before us and been an
influence in our own life have always been the agents for this transmission.
This is true in our Lodges and our Rites. But, on a broader scale, it is also true
in occupations, communities, families and social relationships. The significance
and meaning of social honor and integrity can only be carried forth in each
generation by those honored men who have lived their life in such a way that
the attributes of their good example seem right and compelling to the next
generation. We should never forget that the kind of man we are will ultimately
be the kind of man others see in us. Then, through us, to those who come after us.
This is the chain of union in manhood. This is the legacy of good men.
And
it is one reason we annually commemorate the memory of our forefathers. We do
this to show manly respect; and we do it to check our own progress against the
standards they bequeathed to us.
It
is the way legacy works. The real ideals of heroism do not come from movies or
comic books. Our heroes are found among those whom we have known and followed and
admired to be the best models for our own life. They were once real live men
with whom we could relate and touch and talk. They are the men we selected to best
represent who we wanted to be like when we grew up. We craved their anointment.
And, to a large degree, they now define us.
We
face life with their kindness and honesty; their confidence and determination.
We confront death with their faithfulness, courage and disinterestedness.
So,
you see, if we have paid attention, the examples of the fathers,
father-figures, brothers, companions and knights we once knew and most admired have
prepared us to be worthy as men in our own time. Our task is to carry on the
work which they have furthered so that it may also be said of us, as we can truly
say of them, that the world is better because we have lived.
To
live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
