What Do You Hope People Remember About You?

There’s something about being in a new place and having an abundance of free time that opens the door to big, sweeping thoughts. Maybe it’s the way time stretches and slows when you’re away from your routines, your kitchen, your people.

But during travel, I always find myself reflecting—like really reflecting—on who I am and how I’m making the world a better place. And this trip has been no different. Somewhere between the too-hot Phoenix Arizona tarmac and my fifth bag of airport trail mix (with M&M’s of course), this question popped into my mind.

What exactly do I hope people remember about me?

Not in a morbid way, but in a soft, curious way. A kind of mental check-in with myself way. Am I living right?

I think most of us carry some version of this question around with us—whether we admit it out loud or not. It’s woven into how we show up, how we speak to the people we love, how we handle hard moments. But it’s easy to lose sight of it when the laundry piles up and the dog needs a bath and your phone keeps telling you it’s out of storage.

So I really thought about it. And for me, it’s this—I hope people remember that I was thoughtful. That I was kind. That I didn’t just say I cared—that I lived it and showed up.

I’m not flashy. I’m not the loudest voice in the room. I don’t make grand entrances or tell the funniest stories. But I’m the one who will show up early to help you set up. I’ll notice when you seem off and quietly ask how you’re doing. I’ll remember the thing you mentioned in passing two weeks ago and check in about it. I’ll sit with you in the hard stuff without trying to fix it for you.

I’m that girl—a helper, through and through. A behind-the-scenes, make-sure-everyone’s-okay kind of person. It’s not always glamorous, and it’s rarely acknowledged—but it’s where I feel most like myself, most valuable. And when I think about what I want to leave behind, it’s that.

That someone felt seen, or less alone, or more cared for, or more appreciated because of me.

And you know what, that’s way enough for me.

So now, I want to ask you the same thing—what do you hope people remember about you?

Let’s skip the highlight reels and talk about the real stuff, yeah?