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Memento Vitae, to Life

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Memento Vitae, to Life

For my son, it was a holiday and the schools were closed, so I decided to take the day off from work and spend it with him, just the two of us. Two sports activities, a movie and two junk food joints later, (the pizza place did not have the “right” drink, namely a thick hot chocolate with marshmallows), and finally we were back home, very tired and very happy.

When asked how his day was, my son said it was “the best day ever!” making the constant worries about what was happening back in the newsroom totally insignificant.

In ancient Rome, parading generals had slaves stand behind them to remind them that even though on that day they were triumphant, the very next day it could all be over. “Memento mori,” the slave would whisper in their ear, “remember, you will die.”

I’m willing to bet that for many of you, work is a major component of your life. Not just the time put in it, but also the thought, energy and the sleepless nights filled with worry that we put in, not to mention how it allows us to measure ourselves against others.

We have a lot of self-worth tied in as equity in our jobs. We go home and take work with us; keeping it alive through dinner, and beyond. But, do we take our family to work with us in the same way every morning?

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Once you hit a certain age, there is no need for anyone to whisper reminders of our mortality into our ear. It’s all too present. In many ways, it rules our lives and is why we need something different whispered into our ear: “memento vitae,” remember life.

Remember life because if you won’t, you’re stuck with the “mori,” Mr. Mori, for you.

Conventional wisdom holds that without work, we are lost. Work frames our day, gives us purpose, defines our social standing and allows us to truly exercise our abilities. Once we retire, we start to implode. “Memento vitae!”

I’m all for work, earning a living, cutting our way in the world and leaving our mark, hopefully contributing to our family’s welfare and a better world. But don’t forget that after everything – diamond prices moving in the wrong direction, heavy regulations, adverse currency rates, the demand (hell, the need) to do more with less – “memento vitae!”

“Memento vitae,” because our kids are growing, time is passing, and we are aging. “Memento vitae,” because we can always enjoy a vacation, take time out for a good book, spend quality time with our spouses, have fun with friends and savor a thick hot chocolate drink with the kids.

“Memento vitae!”

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After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.

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Memento Vitae, to Life

mm

Published

on

Memento Vitae, to Life

For my son, it was a holiday and the schools were closed, so I decided to take the day off from work and spend it with him, just the two of us. Two sports activities, a movie and two junk food joints later, (the pizza place did not have the “right” drink, namely a thick hot chocolate with marshmallows), and finally we were back home, very tired and very happy.

When asked how his day was, my son said it was “the best day ever!” making the constant worries about what was happening back in the newsroom totally insignificant.

In ancient Rome, parading generals had slaves stand behind them to remind them that even though on that day they were triumphant, the very next day it could all be over. “Memento mori,” the slave would whisper in their ear, “remember, you will die.”

I’m willing to bet that for many of you, work is a major component of your life. Not just the time put in it, but also the thought, energy and the sleepless nights filled with worry that we put in, not to mention how it allows us to measure ourselves against others.

We have a lot of self-worth tied in as equity in our jobs. We go home and take work with us; keeping it alive through dinner, and beyond. But, do we take our family to work with us in the same way every morning?

Advertisement

Once you hit a certain age, there is no need for anyone to whisper reminders of our mortality into our ear. It’s all too present. In many ways, it rules our lives and is why we need something different whispered into our ear: “memento vitae,” remember life.

Remember life because if you won’t, you’re stuck with the “mori,” Mr. Mori, for you.

Conventional wisdom holds that without work, we are lost. Work frames our day, gives us purpose, defines our social standing and allows us to truly exercise our abilities. Once we retire, we start to implode. “Memento vitae!”

I’m all for work, earning a living, cutting our way in the world and leaving our mark, hopefully contributing to our family’s welfare and a better world. But don’t forget that after everything – diamond prices moving in the wrong direction, heavy regulations, adverse currency rates, the demand (hell, the need) to do more with less – “memento vitae!”

“Memento vitae,” because our kids are growing, time is passing, and we are aging. “Memento vitae,” because we can always enjoy a vacation, take time out for a good book, spend quality time with our spouses, have fun with friends and savor a thick hot chocolate drink with the kids.

“Memento vitae!”

Advertisement

/* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * */
var disqus_shortname = ‘instoremag’; // required: replace example with your forum shortname

/* * * DON’T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */
(function() {
var dsq = document.createElement(‘script’); dsq.type = ‘text/javascript’; dsq.async = true;
dsq.src = ‘http://’ + disqus_shortname + ‘.disqus.com/embed.js’;
(document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0] || document.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0]).appendChild(dsq);
})();

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
blog comments powered by Disqus

Advertisement

SPONSORED VIDEO

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.

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