At Advocates For Seniors, we often talk about preparing for the future through legal planning, health care decisions, and conversations about death, dying, and grief. But planning for the future can also invite us to consider something much more personal: How do I want to be remembered?

It’s one of those questions that can reveal an unfulfilled wish, something we value deeply, or simply how we see ourselves. Either way, it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the legacy we hope to leave behind.

For many years…

For many years I wanted my epitaph to say that I gave the best parties. I’d seen my parents plan and entertain their friends, and it all seemed so magical. Afterward they would sit down and replay the evening, “basking in the glow,” as they said, of the camaraderie that was created in that moment. Even the house felt joyful from the laughter and fun that had filled the rooms, leaving a special happy essence in the air that couldn’t be seen but was easy to absorb. That joy would last for quite a while, and I wanted to breathe it in and fill my soul with it. 

After going out on my own, I carried that sense of creating the mood for a memorable event, and I still have it today. It translates into an epitaph urging people to remember how they felt at those special events and the joy they could carry with them. When stressed by their day, I want them to pause and feel that joy again, knowing it’s theirs to keep forever. 

How do you want to be remembered? Let me know! marcia@advocates4seniors.com.