How Do You Want To Be Remembered
Posted: Thursday, August 12, 2010
by Grace O'Malley
How often do you hear rumblings of "I can't wait until the weekend" starting early in the week? We work, take care of bills, do household chores... the everyday mundane tasks that we want to avoid but cannot. Then when the weekend comes we joyfully anticipate having "free" time to do whatever we want without feeling guilt. We then attempt to cram as much "fun" as we can into those precious 48 hours to make up for what we lack during the previous 5 days.
This goes on and on, week after week, month after month, year after year. We end up living our lives by some type of unseen calendar, ticking off the past as if it were something to be stuffed into the recesses of our minds like a photograph, only to be brought out when we want to remember.
*tick tock* *tick tock*
Every day we experience a longing for something in the future. Whether it be personal, financial or career oriented, we segment how we experience today by looking for tomorrow and forgetting what happened yesterday. After all it's done and over with, right?
We are who we are now by our actions and decisions of the past. Right or wrong, good or bad, every experience we have ever had, every emotion we have ever endured has wrapped its web around us shaping who we have become. Still we forge on hoping the future will bring something more, something better.
*tick tock* *tick tock*
When the future doesn't bring us what we want in the time frame we expect, disappointment runs rampant. In order to cope we look to the next (fill in the blank) and lower our expectations to avoid the frustration of defeat. Ever hopeful we move on. Tomorrow will be.... Next week I will... Next month... Next year....
*tick tock* *tick tock*
Eventually the clock winds down on our lives. Slower and slower it moves until the years become months, the months become weeks, the weeks become days and the days are now being ticked off in minutes. We pull out the photographs in our minds that we had stored. Looking back we see the flashes of joys, the heartbreaks of disappointment, the laughter of playfulness. Each one is dear to our heart.
There are not as many photographs as we might have hoped. We were busy living to take too many. We sit back and wonder if we would have changed anything along the way. Some people will regret, while others will not. Some may wish for yesterday back, others may desire another tomorrow. In the end though, all that matters is how you lived your life, what kind of person you became.
*tick ..... tock* *tick .... tock* *tick .... tock*
80 years / 960 months / 49,920 weeks / 349,440 days / 8,386,560 hours / 503,193,600 minutes
*tick .................................................. tock*
When I am gone, I want to be remembered like this:
SHE DID THE BEST SHE COULD. SHE LOVED UNASHAMEDLY AND WITH JOY. SHE GAVE UNSELFISHLY AND WITH GLEE. SHE MADE HER CHOICES AND ACCEPTED SHE WAS NOT PERFECT. MOST OF ALL SHE NEVER GAVE UP HOPE.
*tick .............................................................................................
HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?
*tick tock* *tick tock*
Every day we experience a longing for something in the future. Whether it be personal, financial or career oriented, we segment how we experience today by looking for tomorrow and forgetting what happened yesterday. After all it's done and over with, right?
We are who we are now by our actions and decisions of the past. Right or wrong, good or bad, every experience we have ever had, every emotion we have ever endured has wrapped its web around us shaping who we have become. Still we forge on hoping the future will bring something more, something better.
*tick tock* *tick tock*
When the future doesn't bring us what we want in the time frame we expect, disappointment runs rampant. In order to cope we look to the next (fill in the blank) and lower our expectations to avoid the frustration of defeat. Ever hopeful we move on. Tomorrow will be.... Next week I will... Next month... Next year....
*tick tock* *tick tock*
Eventually the clock winds down on our lives. Slower and slower it moves until the years become months, the months become weeks, the weeks become days and the days are now being ticked off in minutes. We pull out the photographs in our minds that we had stored. Looking back we see the flashes of joys, the heartbreaks of disappointment, the laughter of playfulness. Each one is dear to our heart.
There are not as many photographs as we might have hoped. We were busy living to take too many. We sit back and wonder if we would have changed anything along the way. Some people will regret, while others will not. Some may wish for yesterday back, others may desire another tomorrow. In the end though, all that matters is how you lived your life, what kind of person you became.
*tick ..... tock* *tick .... tock* *tick .... tock*
80 years / 960 months / 49,920 weeks / 349,440 days / 8,386,560 hours / 503,193,600 minutes
*tick .................................................. tock*
When I am gone, I want to be remembered like this:
SHE DID THE BEST SHE COULD. SHE LOVED UNASHAMEDLY AND WITH JOY. SHE GAVE UNSELFISHLY AND WITH GLEE. SHE MADE HER CHOICES AND ACCEPTED SHE WAS NOT PERFECT. MOST OF ALL SHE NEVER GAVE UP HOPE.
*tick .............................................................................................
HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?
This Article has been viewed 900 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
More commentsHi Grace.I've asked myself that question on numerous occasions. I think that I agree with how you would like to be remembered. You seem to have winnowed it down to its most basic and yet still captured it all. Thank you for that.DianneThank you for saying so Dianne.
If one could be remembered as you suggest, I can not believe that they could have possibly left anything on the table for to regret.Wonderful article,DavidThank you very kindly David.
I'll be happy just to be remembered. Especially if my memory brings a smile to someone's face. Nice article Grace.I'm sure there are quite a few people who will remember you Brianna. You bring smiles everywhere.Grace
This is a pretty unique one.Thank you kindly.
Very interesting article. Keep writing wonderful articles. I enjoyed it.I appreciate your comment.
You discribed my life to a tee, that is until I retired. People ask me all the time, "What do you do with all your free time since you retired?" MY answer is, "What free time? I have been busier since I retired than before. I used to wonder how all this stuff got done when I worked full time. The answer is, "It didn't." Retired and lovin' every minute of it. I do not worry how people will remember me. They will remember what they want to remember. I live the life I want for my family, myself, and friends. If they don't remember me, well, it's their loss. BobThis is the kind of thing I like to hear! Good to see you are living life to its fullest. Like the attitude too!Grace
or maybe...."time" is the ultimate illusion? that ticking you hear is the jokester messin' with you. (grin) I've no doubt you will be 'remembered' as you wish. And to answer your question: I wish to be remembered NOW..not after I'm 'gone'. With a smile, of course, and a boat load of laughter for all the goofiness I offer the world.Lots and lots of laughter Camille!
Grace,Wow! What great thoughts and content. Wonderful work, Thanks.Good luckBobThank you very much Robert, your comment is greatly appreciated.
Our days ARE numbered but you gave us an accounting more than just mere days; you added up hours and minutes to burn, as time kindling, as well.I often wonder what one has to DO, simply to be remembered at all?Nothing must be as awful as the simply forgotten dead ones that no one ever thinks about.How can we be remembered the way that we want to be, whenwe can hardly see ourselves the same way that others see us?One must also consider that the blunted, dulled life that we wish away until the weekends arrive is also truly part of eternity.Shall we linger as specters and haunt the halls of SW?Only time will tell...Yikes, I hope I do not haunt the halls of SW? Well not for long at least. Thank you very much for taking the time to read and comment Paul.Grace
nice article..Thank you very much.
More comments
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.