My Pre-Advanced Placement English teacher Mrs. Jenna Hixson is the biggest devoter to kindness that I have ever known. From her many clubs that perform acts of kindness to her donations to charities and the homeless, Mrs. Hixson has made it obvious that she wants to leave her mark on the world, especially in the shape that it is today.

I had Mrs. Hixson my sophomore year, and I was able to partake in her Reading Buddies club where high school students read stories to kindergarteners and 1st graders. I was also able to find a connection through her to the Salvation Army, where I was able to ring the Christmastime bell outside of my local Walmart. But one of the largest acts of kindness she was able to put together was a photography session with cancer survivors and their families. Mrs. Hixson was able to provide these high quality pictures to the families for no cost. After fighting her own battle with cancer, she decided to turn her experience into a positive.

Mrs. Hixson’s story is a prime example of the meaning of this quote. The marble in the quote can be referred to a marble tombstone. Anyone can easily carve “A Loving Son, Father, and Husband” into their tombstone, but there is know way of knowing for sure that they were truly “loving” during their life. Instead of carving these things into a tombstone, carve messages of love, kindness, and good memories into the hearts of others. Once you’re gone, you leave only the memories of your life behind, so make those memories cherishable ones.