What I Want People to Remember Me For

Self & identity series

I think about this sometimes—what footprints do I leave behind? Not the ones on the floor, but the ones in hearts, in minds, in memories. What do I want people to carry with them when I’m not around?

I don’t want to be remembered for perfection. I don’t want to be remembered for always having the right answer, or for fitting neatly into everyone else’s expectations. I want to be remembered for showing up, fully, even when it was messy, even when it was hard.

I want people to remember my honesty. My willingness to sit in the discomfort and speak my truth. I want them to remember my creativity, my chaos, my laughter. My moments of love, my attempts at understanding, my refusal to shrink.

I want them to remember the courage it took me to own myself, the vulnerability I risked, the light I tried to shine even when it wasn’t easy. Not because I was perfect, but because I was real.

Maybe that’s all I can do: live in a way that leaves something behind—something that reminds people that being human is enough. That being yourself, even in the chaos, is a gift worth sharing.