“Our legacy is really
the lives we touch, 
the inspiration we give, 
altering someone’s plan,
if even for a moment, 
and getting them to
think, cry, laugh, and argue.”
Carrie Hamilton

It was a strange request. This past week, I assisted a friend of a friend in the process of updating his résumé and writing a cover letter for a job to which he is applying. Having completed the task, my friend asked me to send him a copy of my current résumé. It’s been awhile since I’ve needed a job résumé, but I’m a firm believer that it’s a good idea to always have a current one available, just in case. I took the opportunity to update mine and sent it to him. His response surprised me.

“Thanks. Now I have a copy to remember you by.”

I’ve known this friend since we first crossed paths in the fall of 1968. We have stayed in touch, to some degree, throughout the past 55 years. His response to receiving a copy of my résumé made me realize that he doesn’t know me all that well. While I wasn’t upset with his response, I felt compelled to respond.

“Please don’t remember me by my résumé. That’s not who I am. That’s just an indicator of where and how I spent some of my time these past 50+ years.”

I would like to believe that I am much more than just what I’ve done in my professional life. I hope to be remembered as someone who has made a positive difference in the lives of those I’ve encountered on my life journey. I hope to be remembered as someone who provided compassionate care where and when it was needed. I hope to be remembered as someone who listened attentively to those who needed someone to listen to them. I hope to be remembered as someone who was reliable and could be trusted implicitly. And I hope to be remembered by some as a role model for how to live their lives with contentment, gratitude, and integrity.