Grandpa Thompson

Michael’s grandfather passed away this week and it has been making me think about how our lives affect those around us.

It is easy to see how some people’s lives affect and influence those around them. A great teacher can positively influence the lives of hundreds of children. Inspire them to believe in themselves and do more with their lives than they thought they could. The choices made by the leaders of our country have an affect that spreads to millions of people. People like Martin Luther King and William Tyndale did amazing things with their lives and truly made the world a better place.

But most people won’t have the opportunity to be a president, lead a civil rights movement or teach hundreds of children. The sphere of people that we have an impact may seem much smaller. It may seem like what we do does not matter as much as a more “important” persons actions might. This idea is wrong.

The grandpa Thompson that I knew was a quiet person. He was always there at family gatherings. He didn’t say much unprompted, but if you sat down beside him he was happy to talk. Grandpa didn’t have good vision but he won card games amazingly often. He liked to hold his new great-grandchildren for a few minutes and admire them. Grandpa and Grandma Thompson raised five children in a two bedroom home. The same home he lived in until he passed away. Grandpa worked at Hill Air force base for 37 years. He was a good father and husband and a good person. I never heard him say an unkind thing about another person.

You might think that a quiet person who lived within the same ten mile radius his whole life might not have had a big impact on the world. It would be easy to assume that his sphere of influence was somewhat limited. But I don’t think this is true. I can see Grandpa’s reserved personality in Michael. Michael would much rather sit back and observe a conversation than have to think of something to contribute to it. I can see Grandpa’s smile in my brother-in-law who also shares his name.

Grandpa and Grandma Thompson raised five good children who have grown up to raise families of there own. He had 20 grandchildren and 24 grandchildren. I’m sure they all have a little bit of Grandpa Thompson in them. He taught his children to love and serve others, values which they passed on to there children. Those children and grandchildren have gone on to be positive influences for countless other people. Like a pebble thrown in a pond.

I don’t think it is possible to measure the impact that a single person has had on the world. But I do know that Grandpa Thompson left a positive one. When those he has left behind think of him it will be with love and desire to leave this world better than we found it. Who could want have any other impact on the world than that?

Four generations: Ray Thompson, Michael Thompson, Ron Thompson and Stephen Thompson (the baby)