re: Leaving a trace
President Sarkozy had a student read a letter by Guy Moquet who was part of the french resistance and who was executed. He was merely 17.
He's remembered (as Anne Frank) because of what he endured, but he's also remembered because of his message (he knew he was going to die).
It was very moving.
There are many ways to leave a trace. But can we ? Is the message possible ? Sometimes, it's not intentional. Some are more eloquent than others but have less to let know. It's a matter of circumstances.