On Being Remembered

Everyone wants to be remembered
By people that we leave behind
And we’d like them to remember us
With thoughts that are pleasant and kind.

We hope those we have offended
Forget the offence and forgive.
We want to be recalled as someone
Who knew how to live and let live.

We hope someone thinks our life mattered.
We hope they have stories to share
About how now and then we attempted
To be selfless and loving and fair.

We hope we made an impression
On a few that we met on the way
And that those who reflect on our passing
Have a fond word or two they can say.

  • Jim Hagarty

Author: Jim Hagarty

I am a 72-year-old retired journalist, busy recovering from a lifelong career as an unretired journalist. This year marks a half century of my scratching out little fables about life. My interests include genealogy, humour and music. I live in a little blue shack in Canada and spend most of my time trying to stay out of trouble. I am not that good at it. I also spent years teaching journalism. Poor state of journalism today: My fault. I have a family I don't deserve, a dog that adores me, and two cars the junk yard refuses to accept. My prized possessions include my old guitar and a razor my Dad gave me when I was 14 and which I still use when I bother to shave. Oh, and my great-great-grandfather's blackthorn stick he brought from Ireland in the 1850s. I have only one opinion but it is a good one: People take too many showers.