When I was a teenager, I lived for sports. I was a veritable stats encyclopedia, and was able to name every player on every team in the professional baseball, football, and basketball leagues. Nowadays I don’t have as much free time to expend on following sports, but I still appreciate listening or watching a major sporting event.
On Friday, I tuned into a momentous sports event that took place at the Meadowlands. Rather than a sports game, it was a player announcing his retirement from playing in the National Football League. The retiring player, Eli Manning of the New York Giants, played quarterback for 16 years for the team and won 2 Super Bowls with them, which will likely get him into the Hall of Fame, the greatest honor in football.
But perhaps even greater than the accolades he received for his on-field accomplishments were those he got for being the human being that he is. Eli Manning is known to all who meet him as a decent person, a kind and friendly soul who just happens to be good at football.
Why does this matter and why do I bother writing about it? Because, as many people have pointed out since he announced his retirement, what he will be remembered for most is his kindness and easygoing nature. Beyond the bright lights of the gridiron, and even being a millionaire many many times over, he still treated everyone around him the decency and respect they deserved as human beings.
And therein lies the lesson I believe we should all take from Eli Manning. No matter what we end up accomplishing in life, and regardless of the milestones we reach, we will barely be remembered for them. Nobody really cares how much money you amass, how big your house is, or how fancy your cars are. Nobody will care about what degrees you earned, what positions you held, and what honors you received in your lifetime. You know what they will remember? They will remember how you treated them. They’ll remember if you were there for them when they needed your help and if you stood up for them when they were downtrodden. They will forever be grateful for the words you said and the attitude you had towards them.
The stress we place on certain material things are, in the larger picture, trivial and fleeting. But the bein adam l’chaveiro aspects of our lives are those that remain forever.
How do you want people to remember you?
Well said…..
Where’s the thumbs down button?
The lesson is true of course, but not applicable in this case. Baloney that Eli Manning will be remembered for being a nice guy. He will be remembered for his performance in sports. Sports is just sports. Don’t make sports into a higher calling or the mostly lowlife players into paragons of society or role models.
Nicely written, thank you!
You didn’t need Eli Manning. It’s right there in Pirkei Avos. It also talks about Sameach B’Chelko. He talks about good middos but digresses into money, houses, cars, and the stress we place on material things. Aren’t that what all his letters are about? How people spend to much because it’s more than him?
Airing ones financial difficulties on the internet is quite unbecoming. If you can’t figure out how to fund the lifestyle you wish for, that’s your problem. But, stop trying to guilt people who can afford to live that way into lowering their way of life just so you don’t get jealous. (Aseres Hadibros #10)
Look up to gedolei yisroel to learn lessons from. I cant believe someone frum would even write a narisher article like this
Eli Manning just announced his retirement and that’s why he mentioned it now. He wasn’t stam giving a mussar shmooze and used him as an example instead of a gadol.