Before It's Too Late

I have had the unhappy circumstance this week of learning of the sudden, tragic and untimely deaths of two acquaintances. Both men were in their thirties. There was a time not too long ago when it seemed that most my friends (and I) were getting married, then most my friends (and I) were having children. Now, I seem to have entered into that part of life when one common social point of reference is death. Too soon!

Justice Janice Brown (remember that name) of the California Supreme Court recently delivered a moving eulogy of her friend and mentor from the California Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice Robert Puglia. We would all do well to live lives worthy of the words Justice Brown penned in remembrance of Justice Puglia:

He taught us that character counts and integrity is personal. He never allowed cruelty or deception or hypocrisy to go unchallenged. He did the right thing even when he would have benefited from doing the expedient thing. Freedom is not free he would often remind us, but, in Justice Puglia’s view, it was worth the price—however dear.