Nobody wants to be forgotten.
Nobody wants to live their entire life, pass away, and not be remembered by the world. We all want to leave an impression, have our name in the history books, have a memorial built for us, a library in our name. We want to save lives, discover the next medicine or cure for cancer. We want to help non-profits, give to the needy.
We want to make music and entertain. We want to be on the big screen, sell albums, get rich. We want to be a CEO, own a company, be the boss. We want to work for Google, or be the next Steve Jobs. We're craving to be big, and not just be a pawn. We don't want to just live our life meaninglessly. We want a purpose. And the purpose of life is a whole other discussion, and that's not where I'm going with this.
Nobody want's to be forgotten. Except for me.
I used to be like that. I'm a natural born leader, and I wanted to be known for that. I wanted to find something, stick my flag in it, claim it as my own, and run it to be huge. I wanted to be known for something. I wanted you to hear my name, and associate me with something big. I wanted people to get excited to meet me. I wanted to do something so big on my campus, in my community, in my state, in the world. I wanted to have my name go down in History because we only remember those who make a big impression on the world, right?
But, I've recently changed my mind.
I'm not famous, and I don't want to be. I don't want you to hear my name one day and think of something I did. I don't want to be tied to just one thing that I did in my lifetime. Instead, I want you to forget me when I leave this world. I don't want you to remember my favorite color, or what perfume I wore, or my favorite make up brand. I don't want you to hear my name and think like you do about every other name in History that you hear.
Instead, I want you to remember what I did in my life. I want to impact your life, and leave an impression on you that alters you for the rest of your life. I want you to not to be able to forget what I did, not because of some huge thing that I did that was historical, but because I impacted you on a personal level. I want to know your in's and out's. I want to see you smile. I want to get a drink with you at the coffee shop down the street and make small talk about your relationship problems. I want to be the shoulder you cry on when your grandmother passes away. I want to be the friend that is there for you when nobody else is. I want to be understanding. I want to be passionate. I want to be kind. I want to protect you. I want to love you.
I want to be there for you, and leave an impression on your life that you can't forget. So one day, when I'm gone, I can live on in the things I did for you instead.
I hope you forget me one day, and I hope I make an impact on you that won't be forgettable.
