What’s the most significant day of your life?
By Diem Pham, Founding Partner, ROAMcare Originally published 15 March 2021, Gently edited for content
That is the favorite conversational question of my father’s. Growing up I have heard many responses, all of them preceded by a long pause. I could see the brains racing through the events of the years to pick that life changing one, noteworthy and profound enough to share. There are many to choose from, too numerous to sort through at the time as if the silence made the wait too long. Almost everyone answers my father’s question with a milestone: graduation, wedding, birth of a child, death of a parent, or an event that has profoundly affected them such as an end of a war or 9/11. They then explain in detail how that changed the course of their lives. I can see their faces soften and their eyes twinkle as they recall that moment.
We are undoubtedly shaped by the circumstances and people around us, directly and indirectly. Sometimes we have input in the outcome and sometimes choices are made for us. In our roles as parents and partners, friends and neighbors, leaders or followers, we are trusted to be there for others when we can, as we best can, for our circumstances.
Imagine someone’s most significant day is the day that person received a kind word from you, a nudge in the right direction, or a ride to a lifesaving medical treatment! Every interaction you have is an opportunity to make a difference on somebody’s life, and that ripple extends to their circle of influence of family members and friends. Now imagine how you would feel if you could do that!
So… What is the most significant day of your life?
