What do you want your tombstone to say?

A few months ago, I joined a Presidential biography book club.  We started with a biography about George Washington, and the plan is to complete a biography about every subsequent President in order from Washington to the current President (whoever that will be, as we estimate that we will need about six years to finish).  I am currently reading a book about Thomas Jefferson, our nation’s third President.  I was interested to learn that Thomas Jefferson’s tombstone at Monticello, his home, reads as follows:

Here was buried Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of American Independence
Of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom
& Father of the University of Virginia.

Pretty interesting, isn’t it?  Of all the things Jefferson could (and should) be remembered for, he selected these three (albeit very important) contributions.  Nowhere does it say that he served in a number of important government positions, including Secretary of State, Vice President, and President.  He doesn’t mention that he was an accomplished architect, naturalist, inventor, and patron of the arts.  Nor does he mention the words, husband, father, and grandfather.  At one time or other, Jefferson was all of these, and more.  But he chose these three.

I started thinking, what would I want on my tombstone?  What do I want to be most remembered for? What lasting contributions to society do I want to make?  It’s a good exercise, and leads me to ask, “What do you want your tombstone to say?”