Who's remembering you?

Before my Mother passed away she spent quite some considerable time assembling the family history. Ever since that day her work has sat on my hard disk untouched and recently I decided it was probably time I finished what she started otherwise what was the point of her doing it? I've got records dating back to the 1700s and as I pored over the list taking in the details I wondered if I could take a step out of time and see where I fit in the grand scheme of things, would I see somebody many years from now researching me?

Perhaps that is a comforting thought, I won't be totally forgotten, all my struggles in life will boil down to an entry on somebody's page somewhere, perhaps hung up on their living room wall.

This weekend I attended a school fete at a school where I was once a pupil many, many years ago. I recall very little from so long ago but one of the things that I do recall was my teacher, Mrs Jakeman. It is hard to say how accurate my perceptions are through the eyes of a 10 year old but she seemed very old at the time. Thinking about it 20 is very old to a 10 year old but that's what I remember. I do wonder if she was close to retirement. When did she leave? Is she still alive? I was curious and hoped someone might have some answers for me.

It was a bit of a shock to learn that nobody I spoke to, staff or former pupils, were able to recall her. One of those teacher joined only five years after I left but still she had no idea what I was talking about. It does seem very sad that someone can just simply be erased like that. How can I be the sole person who recalls her?

So what has any of us REALLY done to be remembered after we're gone? I can't help but think we need to appreciate today far more and make the most of it.