Life In Legacy

Living life in legacy to others begins as a journey of self-exploration. The realization that part of life's purpose is to leave a legacy for others is often the catalyst for deep reflection about where we have been in life and where we still want to go. Some of us begin early in life to ponder what we will leave to those who come after us. For others, we arrive late in life at the realization that we wish for something to remain as a heritage for our descendants.

Each day we live we build a legacy of one kind or another. We will leave behind memories and emotions, both good and bad, in the minds and hearts of those who have known us, or known about us. We will leave a legacy of regret or a legacy of love.

While we are still alive we have the oportunity to create our own legacy of memories:

• Memories of ourselves
• Memories of our values
• Memories of our lifestyle
• Memories of our love for family and friends

If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday. ~Pearl Buck

Keep a journal or diary. I have kept journals, or diaries, most of my life. As I child I had a pink padded-cover diary with a lock that kept nobody out (especially my brother). In later years I have journaled in spiral notebooks, fancy journals given to me as gifts and, more recently, in a computer file. I have several blogs as well that serve as a form of online journaling.

Keeping a journal as a part of living your life in legacy is an intentional process. You write with the knowledge that those who come after you will read your thoughts, dreams and aspirations. You hope that your written legacy will inspire and encourage others.

Your legacy journal could combine some of the best features of a diary, photo album, scrapbook and more.

Photos are one of the best records of our life. They are the first thing people try to grab (besides the kids!) if the house catches fire. Yet often our photos are in shoeboxes under the bed or, in this digital age, in a computer file not available for everyone to see.

Though I have done a pretty good job sticking family pictures into albums I have felt I could do better. My daughter-in-law is an avid scrapbooker and she recently offered to help me get started. I bought some supplies and, with her guidance, am on my way to leaving a life in legacy that includes not only photos but also written documentation of what those photos mean to me.

Chart your family history. Not everyone has the time, or desire, to do a comprehensive family geneology. However we might at least collaborate with other family members to trace some of the high points of our ancestry.

I have a son, a nephew, a sister-in-law and a great aunt who all have pulled together some portions of our family's geneological legacy. If you are more ambitious there are many geneology sites---even some that are free--where you can trace your roots.

Write a memoir. A memoir is more than a journal but less than--or different from--an autobiography. A memoir is a record of, and stories about, the highlights and meaningful moments in one's life. A memoir may be emotional and descriptive. It is more likely to express how you felt about life events rather than documenting every fact and detail of your life.

If you are not confident about your writing skills, you can take your writing to the next level with a few simple lessons.

Leave a legacy of love. There will be little value for those who come after us if the legacy we have left is only in pictures, writing, and gathered trivia of a life. The true legacy of life a heritage of the heart. It is the loving memory of one who had time for, and joy in, their family and friends.

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