Maybe That’s Why

A former coworker’s sister and a neighbor to my friend, I didn’t know Tracie well, but our paths crossed a few times. The only thing I knew about her was that she was affable and easy to be around.

One afternoon, my friend Eva called me to let me know of her neighbor’s passing. She didn’t have to say much before I knew exactly who she was talking about. Tracie had been fighting brain cancer for a couple of years, but still her death came unexpectedly to Eva. Only 55 years old, she left behind a husband and two teenaged children.

Devastated, Eva started telling me a little of Tracie’s story, giving examples of just how amazing it was to have Tracie as a neighbor. She explained that Tracie was battling her illness while raising a family, working, consistently checking on her neighbors, and sending “glitter bombs”. Glitter bombs were notes of encouragement and appreciation that Tracie would send to friends, neighbors, coworkers and acquaintances. When the recipient opened the envelope glitter would spill out in front of the note. Eva eventually caught on and took caution whenever she received a note from Tracie by opening it over the sink. Just hours before Tracie passed, she texted Eva to see if she could use some ice cream because she bought too much of it when it was on sale.

Just a ten-minute conversation with Eva and I knew Tracie was more than affable. She went out of her way to make people feel seen and appreciated and left behind a positive impact.

When people like Tracie pass away there is grief, sorrow, and pain – but there is also a whole lot of goodness left behind. Those impacted by their death desire to capture that goodness and spread the same joy in their honor, even if only temporarily. People like Tracie leave the world a better place than they found it.

We’ll never know why bad things happen to good people. But maybe some people are called to leave because of their goodness. Maybe their message needed to be heard by others, and those they touched hold it within them and spread joy on their behalf. The love they were spreading will now be scattered by those that carry them in their heart. They leave pieces of them within us and the world becomes a better place.

Maybe that’s why.

Let us all be a little more like Tracie. Check on your neighbors, let people know you care, share your ice cream, and leave behind some glitter.