“Begin with the end in mind” is a great chapter in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, a book I read many years ago.

We want people to mourn us when we’re gone. I believe it’s not because we want to feel relevant or important.

It means we imparted something upon them, something valuable, something worthwhile. And that will get passed down, and evolve, as life continues to flourish after us.

It’s an acceptance of something greater than ourselves, and a desire to contribute to it. It’s a gift with no thought for reward. It’s what we leave behind.