Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech stands among history’s most memorable goodbyes — not because of sorrow, but because of gratitude.

Other leaders have done the same:

• Abraham Lincoln, in his Second Inaugural Address near the end of the Civil War, spoke not of victory but of gratitude for unity, urging “malice toward none, charity for all.”
• Nelson Mandela, upon leaving the presidency of South Africa, thanked his people for their sacrifices and their hope, rather than focusing on his own suffering in prison.
• Even the Apostle Paul, in his final letters written from prison, repeatedly gave thanks for the communities who supported him, even as he faced execution.

Gratitude, expressed at life’s edge, becomes more than words.

It becomes a legacy.