and you will not be forgotten
Written to Speak Blog.
Written by Tanner Olson.
@writtentospeak
and you will not be forgotten.
@writtentospeak
We walked the hallways and streets of Washington, D.C. this past week.
Everywhere we looked we were reminded of someone who will forever be remembered.
Beautiful portraits hung perfectly on walls in a room guarded by hired security.
Scattered throughout the city are chiseled statues and monuments that are so large they can be seen from a mile away.
Streets and buildings bear the name of someone who has gone on, but whose name is very much alive.
I held a constant longing deep within as we made our way through the city.
This feeling sat heavy on my chest as it weighed down my mind.
I couldn’t shake the wondering.
Will I be forgotten?
Will I?
Something in me wants to be remembered for doing something good in this world.
Maybe you feel the same thing.
But maybe like me, you don’t want to be forgotten.
And through my wondering I’ve come to this:
I want my life to count for something.
But I think I’ve been counting all wrong.
I used to think to be remembered or for my life to count for something you had to have a high profile job or be known be millions of people.
Something in me thought you had to have a blue checkmark next to your name or a large following to be remembered.
Or that you had to create and lead a movement that would forever change the course of human history.
Or become a famous ___________.
Or have a famous dog. Or cat. Or pig. What a wild world.
But that’s not it.
What if it is more important to spread hope while on earth than to be remembered forever?
What if instead of having your name be known by the world, you were truly known by your family and neighborhood?
What if it is more valuable to be kind to the people around you, than to be known by millions of people all over the world?
What if living and leaving behind a life of love and faithfulness is what our world really needs?
Because I don’t think our world needs another monument or statue or name with a blue checkmark.
Maybe what our world needs is for us to remain faithful, to be kind, and for us to not chase fame, but simply help each other move forward toward something better.
This wondering if I will or not be forgotten no longer sits heavy on my chest or weighs down my mind.
I’ve moved on to a new question:
How do you want to be remembered?
Because you won’t be forgotten.
You may not be known by millions or have a blue checkmark by your name.
You may never have a street named after you or a monument of your face in a city.
You will not be forgotten because you are seen and known by the Creator of the Universe.
(And that’s kind of a big deal)
You are seen and known and if you are seen and known, you won’t be forgotten.
You were created and creations are not forgotten.
They aren’t.
They are cherished and remembered.
Just like you.
//
much love,
tanner olson
written to speak
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W T S
Tanner Olson is a writer, speaker, poet, spoken-word artist, & creator of Written to Speak.
He created Written to Speak to share hope & announce love.