The Life of Shelagh Gordon

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1146928--shelagh-was-here-an-ordinary-magical-life

Shelagh Gordon, 55, died in the middle of February from an aneurism. Reporters from the Toronto Star interviewed more than 100 of her friends and family members after the funeral to piece together her seemingly ordinary life.

The final piece, published on March 16, was amazing. It spoke of the minute details of her life that so many can relate to. Simple things, like her love of tea, made her story compelling and relatable.

At every funeral, people always speak of how kind and wonderful the person was. It seems rather cliche, but for Shelagh, her kindness was different. She was as kind to her family as she was to strangers, and that sets her apart from the rest of the world.

Her life story, scrutinized by Star reporters, is worth sharing. Her life, shared in print, undoubtedly makes readers think of their own purpose in life, and of their priorities. Shelagh, struggling with bills and work stress like most of us, still had the heart to invite people over for dinner, send them chocolates on Valentine's day, and organize happy get-togethers with anyone and everyone.

The article never writes about how hard she worked, or how successful she was, or how much she travelled the world. Her simple, ordinary life was beautiful by itself. It shows that anybody can be worthy, special, appreciated, and kind. You don't have to be a millionaire to impact so many people. You don't have to be a celebrity. You don't have to be anything but yourself.

Her story reminds people to share themselves with everybody and to appreciate every person that you make contact with in a day, whether it's a barista or your spouse.

A part in the article said that life isn't meant for weekends. What a strong message. Relax, love, have fun, and surround yourself with people as often as you can. Shelagh's death was sudden and unpredictable, and she likely had no regrets. Her life was full. She didn't have the fancy clothes, the perfect partner, the perfect children, or a job she loved. But with everything she did have, she was grateful for. Her seemingly incomplete and ordinary life was actually perfect.

Shelagh's story is inspiring. Be kinder, love more, be more grateful, appreciate every small thing, smile at everyone, help as much as you can. We think we're doing everything we can, but after reading that article, I saw how much better people can be.