Wednesday, July 14, 2010

How will you be remembered?

Loving, caring, compassionate
Wife, daughter and friend
Enjoyed writing
Cooking
Playing with toddlers.

Funny in her sarcastic way
Witty, intelligent, feminist
Traveled the world
Wrote numerous
Bestsellers.

Taught others
How to pause
And smell the flowers
Appreciate their loved ones
And count their blessings.

Always sought
New knowledge
Asking questions
Relentlessly
Of friends and strangers.

In her own small way
Made
A difference
In the lives of those
She touched.

---------------


---------------

Needy, selfish, confused
Imposing wife and daughter
With no real friends
Enjoyed being a
Loner.

Staunchly believed
Her viewpoint
Was the
Only
Right one.

Feminist who sought
Equality for those
Who did not seek it
Was full of
Idealism.

Led a nomad life
That didn't amount
To much
Thought of writing books
But never did.

Died dissatisfied
And unhappy
Writing her own obituary
Because she knew
No one else
Would.

-----------------

Copyediting the obituary for Santa Clara's former president (who died two days ago after a short battle with pancreatic cancer) made me realize how our every day actions control what goes in that homage when we have passed.

We will be remembered as who we are today, not who we can become tomorrow -- for who knows, tomorrow may never come...

Some of us have will have a series of accomplishments; others will have adjectives.

Some will see the tide of time; others will pass away before they reach their prime.

Some will be missed by millions; others just by their families.

Some will change the course of history; others will be remembered for simple deeds of kindness.

No matter how or when we die, the bottomline is all of us will.

How do you want to be remembered?

Also posted on my blog.