Leaving a Legacy

Legacy: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past. Recently I celebrated the legacy of my grandmother’s life. She was born in 1908 and died at the very ripe age of 97 and one half years. We shared at the graveside various stories and memories of her life. She loved hymns, her family, cooking and playing the organ. She had a good sense of humor and a fear of storms. It was fun quoting “Nana-isms” as we called them.

As each person shared their piece of memory, her children and grandchildren smiled thinking of how her legacy was passed on to each of us in different ways. My mom learned how to make wonderful Thanksgiving dressing from her. My cousin learned the 23rd Psalm from her. I picked up a love of music from her and on it goes. The one thing we all learned from her was a love for family. Nana taught us through her words and actions that family always comes first and that love is unconditional.

It occurred to me that we all leave a legacy. I wondered what kind of legacy I would leave. How is a legacy made? It’s built moment by moment as we interact with the people placed in our lives. A legacy isn’t something we pass on at the last minute as though our dying words could be “Hmmm, I think I’ll leave a legacy of…” and pass on something we always meant be but never were.

It’s a daily, hourly, situation by situation process. We can leave all sorts of legacies. Some of us are building legacies of worry, doubt, or anger. Here’s the good news. Even if we’ve inherited unhealthy, life-draining habits we don’t have to pass those on. We can choose to pass on life generating habits by building a legacy of peace, faith, and forgiveness.

They say children of alcoholics are more likely to become alcoholics. They say children of smokers are more likely to smoke. But it works both ways. Children of Hope are more likely to be hopeful. Children of Love are more likely to be loving.

What are you building that will remain after you leave? What type of legacy are you constructing each day with your words and actions? What if each day we lived a life that was full of hope, love and joy? What if our words and actions were guided by grace? We have the power to leave a legacy that would surely be a blessing for years to come after we’ve gone.