Inspiration from Marcel Murrell (1916 – 2009)
November 15, 2009
“Be kind today. Drop a letter, a note, a DM, a comment, a tweet to someone just because.” (Marcel Murrell)
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I borrowed this image of Marcel from Tammy, who first introduced me to him on facebook a few months ago. His beautiful soul has touched so many lives, especially mine, in ways he never could’ve imagined.
Thank you, Tammy, for sharing him with us… just because.
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Lisis,
I too was introduced to Marcel, through Tammy. And what a wonderful, caring, and funny man he was. Really, it was an honor to know him. He brought goodness to every moment he touched. He has left his mark on my life. And may he now rest in peace…flowing in the river of life beyond here.
I do believe the heavens got another angel, and that he is looking at us in his new angel wings, and smiling. And, Marcel…I’m smiling back at you, my friend….
Peace and flowing life,
Lance
Lance´s last blog ..Sunday Thought For The Day
I never knew Marcel, but if he touched both you and Lance, he must have been a pretty special guy. I red through some of his tweets, and he certainly sounds like someone I wish I could have known.
So perhaps instead of thanking him, I’ll pay it forward:
Lisis, thank you…for everything.
Lance, thank you, too. For all that you do and all that you are.
Jay Schryer´s last blog ..It’s A Kind of Magic
Hey, Lance… thanks for adding your thoughts here today. I realize most of my readers have probably never heard of this 95-year-old facebook and twitter angel, but I had to post this anyway, because I just can’t stop thinking about him.
I told Tammy that I find myself now going back through his updates and tweets trying to soak up all his wisdom and humor. I guess I’m not ready to be without my daily dose of Marcel. I can only imagine what Tammy and her boys are going through.
I’m sure people who didn’t know him are thinking, “Well, what did you expect? The man was 95 years old!” But, unless you knew him, it’s hard to explain how wonderful his very real, very kind, very caring presence was amongst the chaos of social media.
Anyway, I tried to write something else to post, but none of it stuck. Just this picture of him, which was often the highlight of my day.
Thanks for remembering him with me, Lance.
Hi, Jay!
Oh, that man was really something. Funny because he readily admits he was a grumpy old man between 65 and 80… until he met Tammy (his neighbor) and her two sons. Then, finally, he got it… at 80! I don’t know what his whole life was like, other than he worked for NASA and was married 44 years, with no kids. But just in the time he was on facebook and twitter, during this past year, he inspired and touched SO many lives, that I am convinced it’s the little things that make the most difference.
I read one account on his wall about a guy who also had never met him but who used to stay up chatting with him late at night. Hours before Marcel died, he sent this man a message asking him how his son was doing (the man’s son was in the hospital, I believe). Even on his deathbed, he was still thinking of others… people he had never even met.
When I grow up, I wanna be just like Marcel.
Aww, that’s wonderfully inspiring! Thanks for sharing this with us today!
Positively Present´s last blog ..words to live by: this is gonna be a good life
Thanks, Dani… I just wanted to keep a little memory of Marcel right here, at Q4B. His presence here reminds me of how I want to live my life.
Hi Lisis,
I never met or knew about Marcel until now. The fact that he touched so many people says a lot. So may his soul be at peace!
Nadia – Happy Lotus´s last blog ..Hanging Out with Hemingway
Thank you, Nadia! I know it’s kind of strange post, and a difficult one to comment on (especially for those who never knew Marcel), but I appreciate you sending your loving thoughts.
I believe that we are here to help others, otherwise we would not be here, we would be somewhere in the non form domain or something and never have to come back to Earth to Undo something negative from the past. Marcel Murrell’s love to other people meant that he was forgiving them and himself for his known/unknown mistakes.
I don’t know if I there will be some day when (a lot)people will ask me to help them , but I do know I will use the love of my heart to help each and every individual on this planet that I will encounter. then again, the best way to help the world is to help yourself by identifying more with truth, God, letting go of every negativity .Doing that you will also lift the whole world as the sea level lifts a ship. that way the sea level will reach the realm of love and joy for the whole planet.
thanks for sharing Marcel Murrell’s kindness with me and I wish you all the best
Florin, you have helped me already so much with your comments on this blog. I get down on myself an awful lot because I feel like I don’t DO enough… I WANT to, and I think about it, and I wish I could, but I actually DO very little. And yet, when I look back on my life how it was before, governed by depression, negativity, and selfishness (as well as known and unknown mistakes), I can see I have come a LONG way in my efforts to help the world.
I was just watching the trailer for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” and it started with the sentence, “He inspired BILLIONS,” and I felt so bad because I most likely will never be able to inspire billions. But I can inspire a few, and that’s a great start.
Thank you, Florin, once again.
Hi Lisis,
When I first read your post, I wasn’t quite sure what to say. I hadn’t heard of Marcel, I don’t know Tammy, and felt at a loss for words. But, having read the comments here it’s spurred more thought for me. (Yeah, sometimes it takes some extra ’spice’ for me to get my noggin’ going! ha).
In all seriousness, I loved reading everyone’s comments. Not many of us knew Marcel, but that shouldn’t matter. He was an inspiration to you, and I find it beautiful that you’d want to feature him at Q4B. I can relate to your words about MJ, too.
Lisis, picture a room full of people or an auditorium with thousands of people – we have all been inspired by you. I know “we” may not seem like a lot, but in my world, I just have my ONE ME and you’ve certainly inspired THIS ME.
Thank you, Lisis!
Lori´s last blog ..Front Porch: Not A Typical Day in the Park
Hey, Lori! Thanks for understanding. I don’t know what it was about Marcel but, when I first learned he had passed away I just cried and cried… and I never even met him! But you and I both know, people can come to mean a lot to us, even if we’ve never seen them in person, huh?
So, although I wanted to write some OTHER post… maybe something motivational or funny, this picture of Marcel just kept popping into my head. It wanted a place here, amongst my tribe… to be a silent reminder.
As for the auditorium, I don’t know about that. A room? Maybe. One you… for sure! And that makes it all worthwhile.
Very nice of you to commemorate Marcel here – He’d LOVE it.
We’ll not see the likes of MM ever again –
The note you mentioned is here–
http://bit.ly/21TmOC
Hey Lisis,
although I don’t know who Marcel is, I am sure that he’d be very thankful for your tribute to him…
It’s great that he had such a strong and positive influence on you. The impacts that other people have on us are always beyond their own expectations, and I believe Marcel would be surprised with how many lives he has touched with his presence.
Thank you Lisis for sharing your emotions on Marcel. He will live on within the lives that he has touched.
Steven
Steven´s last blog ..Comic Lesson #5 : Don’t Be Too Lazy With Your Life
Hey, Mark! Thanks for sharing that link (that story) with us. I was in tears when I read it because it really painted a fuller picture of what he was like, and of his incredible kindness to others. How lucky we are to have such a wonderful role model… he makes it look easy, huh?
Hi, Steven! Thank you for taking a moment to comment on this post, even though you never knew Marcel. The fact is, he’s more than a friendly person to me; he represents a way of being. If a man in his mid-nineties can inspire, motivate, and care for others with a few daily interactions on facebook and twitter, then I should be able to do at least that… right?
It doesn’t take a huge, amazing, global effort to initiate positive change. It can be a simple process of planting tiny seeds of compassion and nurturing them every day, for as long as we can. Eventually, those seeds will continue the cycle.
Thanks for your support today.
I just found a really sweet tribute to Marcel “out there” on the Net:
http://designresumes.com/blog/2009/11/when-marcel-came-to-facebook/
Amazing!
Well following Marcel’s advice here a note to you: Thank you for your compassion Lisis.
k
Kaushik´s last blog ..You don’t need no F-thing
Hi LIsis,
Marcel sounds like the kind of guy I couldve learned something from. Its sad that i didnt know who he was. BUt, today through your words and through tammys on FB, I can see he was a man full of love, life and positivity.
I think even now that I am getting to know him through all those whose lives he touched, that says a lot about what he left behind as treasures and gems of his life. He will live forever through his good deeds.
MAy his soul rest in peace. Amen.
Zeenat{Positive Provocations}´s last blog ..Multiple Personality By Choice!
Kaushik, THANK YOU. Your current post was exactly what I needed to read today. You always appear at precisely the right moment.
Zeenat, you would’ve loved this guy. He was simple and kind and funny and compassionate. He wasn’t using social media to promote a blog or a product, or himself in any way. He, this 95 year old guy, was forming real meaningful connections with people around the world simply by interacting in a loving way through facebook and twitter. Why do we make this more complicated than it needs to be?
Wanna help someone? Listen to them. Care about them. Follow up. Practice cheerful kindness. That’s it.
Thank you, Lisis, when I read your comment on my post about how Marcel changed my life when he came to Facebook, I was happy that someone else understood the effect Marcel had on those of us who never met him. Mark’s note on Facebook gives so much more background information than I covered but I remember waking up and wondering what Marcel would have said or done during the night. His memory will live on forever in many of our hearts. Here’s my post for those who didn’t read it yet: http://designresumes.com/blog/2009/11/when-marcel-came-to-facebook/
Lisis, you do inspire billions. the simple fact that you see a turtle lying on it’s back and can’t get roll itself over, and you see it and you pick it up and you put it on it’s feet again, You have already changed the entire human consciousness.
It’s all about Intention. The fact that you intend to go to see or hear a spiritual teacher again lifts every individual. So don’t blame yourself because you think you have not done enough. You thinking(thoughts) don’t reveal as much about you than a can of pepsi does. You could do any better because you have already done the best you can and I am grateful for that.
The intention of writing several post / week to help others(readers), doesn’t help only them, it helps us all.
So Keep it up and do your best, yeah
thanks for everything
Oh wow! Wish I knew him! And yes, you are doing great work with your blog
Evelyn Lim´s last blog ..How To Restore Inner Harmony
I’m so sorry I’ve been so slow at getting over here to read this. My heart could only handle so many this week. You are so kind to have written this for Marcel. He believed you to be a kind and gentle heart.
Love,
Tammy
Cricket/TammyWarren´s last blog ..Blushing
Hi, Tammy! I know you have had more to deal with than you ever expected. I’m sure it was hard enough losing Marcel, but on top of that, you inherited the role of comforting so many people who were affected by him. I know I had NO idea that even I would feel his loss so deeply, and certainly not that so many others would.
Tammy, I learned something very valuable from Marcel’s passing. For months and months I’ve been reaching out to try to help others through this blog… writing, promoting, doing what it takes to make it grow. But I was over-complicating a simple thing. I was making it all about me and my stories and my efforts, when all I had to do was listen and care… just like Marcel did. He improved so many lives, just by being there for people on facebook and twitter. Anyway, lesson learned. I’m making adjustments as we speak to put my efforts where they will make the most difference.
Thank you for stopping by here, and also for sharing this wonderful man with the world.
Hey Lisis,
Your blog has always been one that people have gained from. Don’t ever NOT believe this. I was drawn to your blog since the very first time I read it. You have honesty.
There is so much that was never written about Marcel. I know he had a string of friends that I had never heard of. Many stories are coming in slowly. I never knew just how many people had been touched by him.
Once again, I do want to say thank you.
Hugs,
Tammy