What is the best thing a person can be remembered for? (Jan. ’02)
He Said by Paul O’Callahan
When I think about some of my loved ones who have passed away I remember certain characteristics of their personalities. These character traits whether funny, quiet, mean, nice or whatever are what first comes to mind when I think of them.
We learn so much about people we are close to. We come to know their beliefs and find out their true feelings about things. We see them accomplish their goals and overcome hard times. People who are closest to us reveal their real selves. We see their weaknesses and their strengths. I find that in remembering them I don’t consider their mistakes but only their goodness and accomplishments. I find it hard to even remember anything bad about them.
I think that this kind of remembrance is one of real love. I think about when I die and how I would want people to consider me. I know I’ve made mistakes and have done wrong. Is this what I want people to remember? Absolutely not! The kind of memories I would like to leave are based on my goodness not my faults. The greatest tribute I can pay to the righteousness of my loved ones is to model my life after theirs and try to walk in their footsteps.
This kind of remembrance represents the kind of love that God has for me. He knows me like the back of his hand and still forgives all of my sins. He only wants to embrace me with goodness and love. I am called to walk in His footsteps and pay tribute to Him.
Just as I remember my loved ones, I ask that God will remember me and find me worthy to make my memory eternal.
She Said by Christine O’Callahan
Forgiving, loving, caring, sharing, optimistic — these are all qualities of humans that make them a being. After losing a loved one, one always tries to remember the positive characteristics of that person: the way they laughed or made you laugh, the way they cared for others, or just the way they lived.
Out of all of the qualities in a person, which one is the best that they can be remembered for? Well, I think the easiest way for me to answer that question is to think, "How do I want everyone to remember me?" As I think through all the different qualities, from being smart to being funny, I think it comes down to the way I treated others — including the people I knew and loved as well as the people I didn't know at all.
When I depart from this world, I know my family and friends will mourn, and I hope that they will remember all of the goodness in me. However, what about those I wasn't close to? When they hear Christine O'Callahan passed away, what will be their first thought of me as a person? One of the most important things in life is the way you impact others. I pray that I have not had a negative impact on anyone's life. The easiest way to achieve happiness is by helping others who don't have half of what you do. To get back to the subject: when a person loses someone, the most comforting feeling is knowing that people whom the deceased barely knew will mourn over their loss. They will because of what that one person did, how they impacted their life. Then you know that the person you lost will not only be remembered by family and close friends, but by "strangers."
In conclusion, the best thing a person can be remembered for varies from individual to individual, some personal characteristic or action. As for myself, the most important thing that I want to be remembered for is that every person I have met in my lifetime thinks of me in a positive way. I know that the ones I love will remember my best characteristics. I hope that even those less known by me feel the same way.
