REMEMBERED FOR...

There I was at the graveside,
Captivated by the many tombstones,
That spread across the cemetery,
But as I walked past, something caught my attention-the varying epitaphs,
One read: "1920-2009-he was a loving father,"
Another read, "1990-2010-a short but unforgettable life,"
And yet another read, "1980-2011- a man who loved humanity,"
By these, a  lesson was etched within my heart-
We shall all be remembered not for how long we lived,
But for how well we lived,
It struck me that every tombstone had a different epitaph,
These dead people were remembered for different things,
Their legacy, their story, was a reflection of the life they lived,
Then it occurred to me that one day, I too will be lowered six-feet below,
But the question that bothered me was, "What shall you be remembered for?"

And today, I pose the same question to you,
What shall your world remember you for?
Will you be remembered as the husband who never cared?
Or the father who was never there?
Will you be remembered as the faithful wife?
Or the adulterous married mother?
Will you be remembered as the boy who was killed in a gun battle?
Or the young man who served God with his life?
Will you be remembered as the girl who kept herself for God,
Or the young lady who knew the bed room of every man on the block?
What shall you be remembered for?
Always remember that dead men don't write their legacies in the grave,
Legacies are written, epitaphs are inscribed by the lives we live.
What shall be your story?
You have only one life to live, so live it right and don't waste it!
Peace.

SOMETHING BIGGER THAN JUST ME!

And when the pages of history are opened,
The annals of time unraveled,
And the chronicles of events recounted,
I shall be remembered;
Not for the millions I made,
But for the lives I helped shape,
Not for the cars I drove,
But for the passengers I carried on this journey of life,
Not for the mansions I erected,
But for the destinies I built.
Because I lived not for myself but for others, not for today but for tomorrow, not for the present but for the future. This is what I call my legacy, my purpose, it's why I live: FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAN JUST ME!