Measure of a man

I was driving in to work this morning, listening to 720 Newsradio when Geoff Hutchinson interviewed a Perth woman about the death of her good friend, Darren Stratti, in Tanzania. Darren and his partner, Rebeka, run FoodWaterShelter providing all of this to children in a remote Tanzanian village. The news today explains events - Darren was shot in the chest by burglars breaking and entering his home; they stole $6000 worth of building funds. He died while en route to hospital.

The news reports mentioned Darren's Facebook and MySpace accounts (he was also a songwriter and musician, as well as a builder) and, perhaps a little morbidly, I decided to search for these. The dedications in his Facebook wall are both sad and uplifting - they describe a selfless man and more than this, speak volumes about the impact he had made in the lives of his friends and family. The messages left there by his eldest son moved me to tears. Regardless of these messages and dedications, the sad fact remains - an individual who gained much pleasure in life in helping others and being of help and benefit to a struggling community is gone. And we have only learned of this after his passing.

It's a tragic truth that we often learn of great and heroic folk and their deeds after they are gone. If only the community could have celebrated his selfless generosity and his achievement during his life. What is the measure of a man but the plaudits he receives when he is missed. But I think the world would rather that he be here, alive, and continuing with his good work.