What Remains: Introduction

Every September, I get a little reflective. Some people want cake for their birthday month. I want words.

A few times over the years, I’ve invited friends and family to write around a theme, Forever Young, Forty Years to Life, Life Changes. The tradition has been on pause for a bit, but this year felt right to bring it back.

The theme is simple: What Remains.

It’s not about being morbid or heavy. It’s about asking what lingers after the noise fades. What truths stick. What lessons last. What we carry forward from love, work, family, community or just from living long enough to see the patterns.

And here’s the best part: the voices in this series are not just mine. They’re friends I’ve grown up with, family who share my blood, people I’ve never met face to face but have traded care, love, and concern with across miles and screens. Some I call daily, some I only know digitally, but together we’ve built a circle that feels like community.

Each day in September, you’ll read one of their reflections. Some will be poetic, some funny, some raw, some tender. All will be true.

I’m grateful to share this space with them and with you. Because legacy isn’t just what we leave behind. It’s what we leave within.

— Shared by…