This week we witnessed the national mourning of Jimmy Carter. Viewings in Atlanta and Washington, followed by his funeral, attended by all five living presidents. I was still in elementary school when he was elected president. My only memories of him were around the hostage crisis in Iran, so at that time I was cemented with a bad image of his presidency.

I do remember seeing clips of him hammering nails later in his “retirement” as he worked for Habitat for Humanity. A former president out pounding nails to help people get their first homes… and so I could begin to think of Jimmy Carter in a slightly different way.

I was thinking of Carter and legacy as I thought of the lines of a song from “Hamilton.”

Let me tell you what I wish I’d known
When I was young and dreamed of glory
You have no control
Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?

And then this:

And when you’re gone, who remembers your name?
Who keeps your flame?
Who tells your story?

This column in “The Bulwark” reflects on Carter’s ability to have a “comeback” from a tough presidency, which was something only John Quincy Adams had done before Carter.

When Jimmy Carter left the White House, his presidency was characterized by soaring inflation, energy crises, and a botched hostage rescue in Iran. Many Americans viewed Carter as dour and unpatriotic, more prone to lecture about his fellow citizens’ shortcomings than defend the promise of America. Voters soundly rejected Carter’s realistic, if slightly gloomy, vision in favor of Ronald Reagan’s sunny promise to restore American swagger.

Who comes back from that?

Richard Nixon tried hard, but couldn’t get America past the stigma of the impeachment. Herbert Hoover had been in the White House when the country plunged into the Great Depression. Again, a tough act to find a way to recover.

But Carter?

In his retirement, he founded the Carter Center, which promotes diplomatic conflict resolution, fosters free and fair elections, advocates for human rights, and supports the eradication of disease. Under Carter’s leadership, the center effectively ended Guinea worm disease and eliminated river blindness in many countries. Carter also worked to resolve conflicts in Haiti, Bosnia, Ethiopia, and more, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Closer to home, Carter helped rebuild communities destroyed by natural disasters, often picking up a hammer and nails to construct Habitat for Humanity homes. He remained very active in his church, teaching Sunday school well into his nineties. He largely abstained from domestic politics, conducted himself with grace and kindness, and lived his post-presidential life free of personal scandal.

The man went to work. Not in a hope to restore his image, but to simply do what he knew to do and had the opportunity to do because he had been president. He used his gift to pour out goodness.

And when you’re gone, who remembers your name?
Who keeps your flame?
Who tells your story?

Jimmy Carter lived a powerful example. We are, indeed, capable of great comebacks. Our story isn’t finished. Failure is not final.