Measure of Success

My grandpa was a great man.  Today, at his funeral, all nine of his children spoke.  I learned some new things about grandpa.  I had never known he had over a hundred patents to his name, or that he was the dean of an electrical engineering department for 17 years, or that when he taught at the university he was simply captivating.  Grandpa was never one to brag.  He was considered a genius, yet considered himself a simple farm boy.
Grandpa made me feel like a million bucks.  When I was with him I always knew I was the prettiest, smartest, most talented girl in the world.  As I listened to his children speak today I realized that, somehow, grandpa made everyone feel that way.  How did he do it?  How did he make everyone feel so loved and so valued?  He, more than most men, had reason to be praised and admired.  But  when you were with grandpa it was never about him.  It was always about you.
As I listened to story after story about how grandpa had, in a very personal way, helped someone feel they were of worth, I realized something.  That's success.  That's real success.  The jobs you have, the clothes you wear, the books you publish, the cars you drive, the titles you receive, at the end of the day really don't matter.  After you're gone no one will care about that.  A better measure of success will be how you made others feel about themselves.  Grandpa changed my life because he was able to see potential in me and help me believe in myself.  I still feel his love and support, perhaps even stronger now than I did before.  Thank you grandpa.