Lost In Thought

Contemplating mortality, I often wonder how I will be remembered.

Will my mother remember chasing me around in diapers, laughter echoing down the hall?

Or will she remember the caring man she raised, to be kind and sincere?

Will my father remember me simply as an extra set of hands, bonding while working in the beauty of the forest?

Or will he remember me simply as his boy who left home to return a man?

Will my dad remember me only as a boy, who held the power for him to marry my mom?

Or will he remember me as his son, whom he taught the meanings of Respect, Discipline, and Intelligence?

How will my brother remember me, perhaps as his partner in crime as we got into and out of trouble?

Or will he remember me as his best friend, knowing I tried to be a role model and that I was always proud of him?

How will my sisters remember me, as the brat who would torment them unendingly?

Or will they remember me as a person who never tired of trying to give them a better life, their happiness and safety absolutely paramount.

How will my nana remember me, as the little ball of joy always finding comfort in her rocking lap?

Or will she remember me, as the considerate and mindful soul that she nurtured and released into the world?

How will my papa remember me, on our long road trips singing our oldies songs together, uncaring that we were lost?

Or will he simply sit stoic and proud, looking on the man that he, and everybody else in this poem, took their part in molding and teaching?