Do You Have Any Wax?
11/25/09 - Article in the Lee's Summit Journal
by Aaron Love, Law Office of Aaron L. Love, PC
biz2biz news - September, 2011

Recently I read an article in the Kansas City Star, by Sara Shepherd, about Ryan Goodman. Ryan died in a crane accident in Kansas City this past November 10, 2009. Mr. Goodman, a Lee’s Summit resident, was a third generation ironworker. The article asserts that a part of Ryan’s legacy is in such buildings as the Sprint Center and the Bartle Hall ballroom. It was his hands that helped set the steel in place for these buildings. From reading the article and his obituary, Mr. Goodman was described as a conscientious ironworker, who enjoyed the challenge of his dangerous work. Based upon the writer’s interviews, Mr. Goodman was much more than a proud ironworker. The memories of this man reveal a devoted husband and father, with many valued friends.

Most of us won’t get a feature article written about us when we die, but if we did, what would be said of us? What would our “dash” represent? You know, the “dash” on a tombstone between our date of birth and our date of death. What our “dash” represents can also be referred to as our “legacy”. As the article about Ryan Goodman aptly implied, our legacy is much more than the stuff we leave behind. It is even more than all of the pleasant memories. How do our values, character traits, attitudes, and actions influence and impact others? Really our legacy is even more than that. What is our “heart” condition?

To better understand our “heart” condition, let’s digress for a moment, to the origins of the word “sincere”. I ran across two stories that explain the origin of the word “sincere”. Both stories start with the Latin words “sine” (without) and “cera” (wax). One story states that potters had to label their goods “sine cera”, so buyers would be assured that the pottery survived the kiln without cracks. As the story goes, some potters would fill the cracks of imperfect pottery with wax and try to pass them off as good vessels. Similarly, the other story relates to stoneworkers. In order to sell their work, stoneworkers would have to use the term “sine cera”. Inferior craftsmen were known to take shortcuts with the polishing of their work, using shiny wax on their marble pieces, rather than taking the time to properly polish them. The article about Mr. Goodman describes a person who was the real thing. He was “without wax; he had a sincere heart.

While we still have time, what can we do to have less wax in our hearts and to leave a legacy that counts? Well, we could “live each day as though it was our last.” Good advice, but it has been overused, so this tired counsel doesn’t really resonate with us anymore. What if we decided to live life “intentionally”? I know that sounds like discipline, which we aren’t really fond of, but what if we made it simple? Let’s say we take daily steps to more consistently live out the “Golden Rule.” Let’s start by focusing on just three things in our lives that would make us more real, which, over time, focusing on those three things would result in less wax in our hearts and a better legacy. For me, one thing would be getting home from work when I say I will. How about you? Need help priming the idea pump: how about writing a simple thank you note, or offering an honest apology. Taking time to help a neighbor; even just taking time to stop for a chat on the way to check the mail or being pleasant to store clerks and co-workers can make a difference in your life, as well as the lives around you. Telling your boss thank you (or, bosses, telling your employees thank you) and really meaning it. Any of these things can begin a chain reaction of sorts, as others begin to feel appreciated and start showing their appreciation. One such intentional act a day can gradually “de-wax” our hearts and transform us into people with sincere lives that leave a rich and meaningful legacy. Perhaps someday it can then be said of us what one of Ryan Goodman’s relatives said of him, “Ryan was our rock of Gibraltar”.

Aaron practices Estate Planning and Elder Law Planning in Lee’s Summit, MO.
3435 NE Ralph Powell Road, Suite B, Lee’s Summit, MO 64064
www.aaronlovelaw.com
816-554-3330 2010
Article in the Lee’s Summit Journal