Jim Pierson's eulogy from me.

I am Erika Nazerias.  I am the youngest Pierson daughter.  I have taken great pride in telling people lately that I am the youngest.  I don't get to say that at 45 very often.  Everyone in this room has stories that they can tell about my daddy.  We could stay here for hours talking about how wonderful he was.  Don't worry.  I'm not going to open the mic to the floor or anything I just want to say that because isn't that a beautiful legacy.  Look around at all of these people Jim Pierson touched all of these lives in some way.  One man.

Everyone has an adjective words that describe the way you look, the way you are, the way you smell.  Daddy did not care about your adjective, he looked more at the fact that you were another human.  You were another child of God and therefore you were important.  He loved you right where you are.  He didn't care if you had a disability.  He didn't care if you were a poor man or a king.  He wanted to get to know you.  He wanted to make you smile!

Imagine that daddy had one candle in here.  It would be pretty dim, it wouldn't help very much from the being able to see aspect.  You would be able to see the light but that would be about it, but give everyone in this room a candle, have daddy's light spread throughout the room.  This entire sanctuary would be completely illuminated.  You would clearly see all around you.  Daddy touched people with his light.  His kindness, his friendliness, his laughter was infectious.


I was shopping with daddy one day and the cashier was a rather grumpy individual who should probably rethink her occupation selection of customer service.  Daddy started talking to her and she was ice cold.   I watched as my daddy continued chipping away at her icy exterior until she was finally smiling and friendly and kind to him.  We walked away and she had the biggest smile on her face!  I challenge all of you to go out and try it.  If you run in to someone who is mean, hateful, grumpy or rude do not return their venom.  What good does that do?  My mother has always taught me that I should leave a place better than the way I found it.  This life lesson goes for humans too.

If you come across a person that is hateful and rude and you are in turn hateful and rude back to them are you not then stoking the fire and just making things worse?  Why not extinguish their rage?  You will have single handedly changed the day of people that you will never come in contact with.  Why on earth wouldn't you want to make someone's day better rather than worse?

Daddy found out about his cancer battle on December 13th, that was just over 3 weeks ago.  In this amount of time I have seen so many beautiful acts of kindness.  Nurses, doctors, friends, family.  Random paper products showing up on my front porch, meals, texts, prayers, so much kindness.  I haven't had time or the inclination to watch the news as of late, but I'm here to tell you that the horrible world that is represented on the 6 o'clock news is not representative of the world that I have lived in for the last 3 weeks.  Kindness and love has been all around me.  Prayers have sustained me.

You can make the world a brighter place maybe not exactly like daddy did but  Right where you are!  You don't have to be as large a personality as daddy was.  You can be the quiet person in the back.  You be you, but whatever you do Go out...Be kind.