Live, Learn, and Drink Wine: I Will Remember You.......

I was recently reflecting on the question: what do I want to be remembered for?

I’m not sure what sparked this line of thinking other than the old cliché “life is short.” Actually, there was more to it. I was thinking about my grandfather who passed away a few years ago and I was reflecting on what I remember most about him. I remember his joke telling, his laugh, him letting me play with his hair and putting it in small ponytails and barrettes when I was a little girl, his sweet love for my grandmother (he’d walk in the kitchen and lovingly tap her on the butt), and his tickle torture (otherwise known as “cleaning my plow”). He was a good influence on my life and I miss him.

Now, obviously, everyone has a different interaction with a person depending on the nature of the relationship. I’m curious what my grandfather's employees would say about him? And I know it would be different from what his wife or children would say about him. But I do think there would be a common theme.

As I was reflecting on what I remembered most about my grandfather, I began to ask myself: what do I want people to remember most about me?

People have financial goals, professional goals, and personal life goals. Personal life goals are usually something like “I want to be married by the time I am 30, I want two kids, and I want a black SUV parked in my two-car garage.” But how often do people base their goals on what they ultimately want their legacy to be. I’m not talking about material things here; I’m talking about the essence of you who are. In a room full of people that know you, will they all say the same thing about you? Will they say.....You were very giving and charitable? You were full of life and made everyone laugh? You were graceful and elegant? You were spontaneous and fun? You were smart and a great advisor/teacher? You were stubborn and cranky? You were patient? You were wild and spontaneous? Etc….. I could go on and on but you get the gist of what I am talking about.

I don’t mean to be morbid, it is just an interesting thing to think about and if you come up with a goal along these lines and kind of live your life that way, you just may be able to accomplish the goal of being remembered for what you want to be remembered for.

It is something you need to think about every day as a theme in your life. If you want to be remembered for being a great listener then you need to really listen to everyone you encounter. Make them feel heard and they will remember you for that.

Personally, I want to be remembered for being kind, loving, thoughtful, and a good friend to people. (Okay, and maybe as the woman who got everyone to drink sparkling wine casually on a weekly basis.)

A couple days after I was thinking about all of this, I heard the song I will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan (famously played at high school graduations in the 90s) come on the radio. The chorus of this song pretty much summed up what I was thinking. The lyrics go something like this:

I will remember you

Will you remember me?
Don’t let your life pass you by

Weep not for the memories

I’d like to think that people reflect on the positive/good things about people. It is important not to hold grudges and, in the words of Sarah McLachlan, “don’t let life pass you by.” Life is short; you need to work on your lasting impression now.

What do you want to be remembered for?