What Do You Want to Be Remembered for?

The answer is important

My friends are my family. Most of my family have passed on and the rest — I walked away from them years ago and never regretted it.

My good friend Kathleen invited me to the symphony for my birthday last year. It was my first symphony since Covid, and it was magical. As the music washed over me, I felt like parched earth coming alive with late summer rains.

During the intermission, Kathleen asked me what did I want to be remembered for?

I was stymied. A dozen answers bubbled up, but they all felt too thin and inconsequential. How did I want to be remembered? The answer eluded me. During the second half of the performance, it kept slipping into my mind, but it wasn't until the symphony ended, and we were walking toward Kathleen’s car that it came to me.

The sun was low in the west, the long shadows of the trees dotted the path, and the air was softly golden. Fall leaves crunched under our feet. I mulled over my answer, tasting it in my mind and heart. It felt so right.

“What do I want to be remembered for?” I said, “That I was a kind, caring, loyal friend who stood up for what I believed to be right and just.”

While you’re still here, you’re still writing your story.

So, how do you want to be remembered for your time on earth?

That’s the first and foremost question that should guide our everyday life. — Omar Itani

Thanks for reading, Patricia

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