Roots And Footprints

How do you want to be remembered? Nothing in this life is permanent. You could wake one day and see that the tree you have always been seeing every day on your way to high school, the same tree that was buzzing with excitement when your neighbor gave birth to her first child, the same tree that stood still when you got your first job, you could wake up one day and see that it had been cut down. Maybe the government decided to extend the road or maybe the community decided it was best to uproot the tree.

I once had a pet. It was not just any dog, it was an extraordinarily amazing German shepherd. The first pet I ever had. It was with me for years, until one day, it died. Every now and then, the dog’s name and story would pop in conversations with my siblings. “I remember Jack, he was such a good dog.” From time to time, we would remember Jack because he was a good dog. If Jack were a bad dog, maybe he would chase every stranger that comes into the house, we would also remember him, but for negative reasons.

This also applies to our lives as humans. One day, we will all leave this world, empty handed. We came with nothing and we will leave with nothing. However, all that matters is the legacy we leave behind. How do you want to be remembered? Of course, some people want to be remembered as the greatest person in their field of work. More than 500 years ago, William Shakespeare started his writing career. More than 5 centuries after his death, he is still remembered as the greatest writer in the history of English Literature. While this sounds great, I don’t think I want to be remembered for this reason.

I want to be remembered as a kind person. A good man. Someone who used his resources to help people. When I pass on, I want people to read my stories and say, “This man was such a good and kind person.” I hate to see people suffer. It breaks my heart when I see videos or pictures of people who struggle to eat. In many countries, poverty has claimed millions of lives. I wish I had the resources to travel to different countries and help the poor and the needy.

On his YouTube Channel, Cristiano Ronaldo addressed this same question. When asked how he wants to be remembered. His response was simple and meaningful. In his words, “I will say, unique player. In life, a good man.” Ronaldo wants to be remembered as the one of the best footballers in the history of the game. He also wants to be remembered as a good man. Off the pitch, Ronaldo donates blood to hospitals, and also food, money and other resources to orphanage homes. These are exactly the things I would love to do. Like Ronaldo, I want to be remembered as a good person.

This is my entry to the India United prompt. The topic is: How you want to be remembered. You can find it here

Thumbnail is mine.

Thanks for reading.