Can we stop saying this?

Maybe it's because I'm a former editor whose friends used to call me "Slash." But I cringe when I hear someone say, "He lost his battle with cancer." Or she lost her battle with cancer.

Lost? We all realize death is part of life, yes? "Lost" to me implies the person who died is a bit of a loser – even though that is never the intent.

How about instead, "He completed his life"? Or "Her brave battle with cancer has ended"? Frame it any way you want.

The point is, nobody "lost."

For six-plus years, my oldest brother fought multiple myeloma harder than anyone I've ever known. I frequently reminded him what a brave badass he was.

Among other things, his participation in a clinical trial helped get a life-saving drug (talquetamab, or TALVEY®) FDA-approved. When it came time for me to fight lymphoma, I knew how to do it, largely from watching him.

What can you do to make sure your legacy lives on, long after you have left this world? What would feel like a win?