The South Bend Alumni Association recently honored a couple, Greg and Mary Downes, inducting them into the Community Hall of Fame. This is fitting recognition for a lifetime played at a hall-of-fame level by Mary and Greg.
It got me thinking about my own legacy. Twenty-five years from now, will I be hall-worthy? If not, it won’t be because I was missing an example of leadership, duty, and compassion in the community. It won’t be because I didn’t have the opportunity to regularly and consistently observe the lesson – as President Kennedy borrowed from Luke 12:48 – that “to whom much is given, much is required.” And it won’t be because I didn’t have someone challenging my thinking and wondering if I’ve done my part. That’s because I’ve had the honor and good fortune of working for and alongside Greg for the past dozen years at Gibson. Luckily, this meant I also had a number of moments to engage with Mary, too.