Epitaphs

My students and I are studying Thomas Gray's "An Elegy in a Country Churchyard." Upon first glance, it seems like a morbid poem, yet once you read the masterpiece and dig down to its roots, you will see that the poem gives the reader some great advice: Live the life that you want others to remember you by. In an effort to encourage my students, who think they are invincible, to think about the legacy they will want to leave behind when their times come, I had them write their own epitaphs. At first, they, understandably, thought that I had lost my mind! Once I explained to them that writing your epitaph is an excellent way to plan your future, they got on board. I have seen them create some amazing epitaphs--some were clever, others hilarious, several were tear-jerkers--which I will share in a blog soon. This exercise helps me remember what kind of life I need to live today so that I know I will be able to leave the legacy that I desire tomorrow.