Wobble Warning: In this post, I talk about grandparents, children, friends, death, legacy, and more… Such topics have the potential to cause a wobble. Please, do not read if you are feeling vulnerable today.
I have been thinking a lot about legacy lately. This is, in no small part, due to the fact that my Nana passed away on June 1st. So, I have been on this Earth without her for just over three months. And tomorrow—16 September—is the anniversary of my best friend going to Heaven. She’s been gone for three years, passing away at 40-years-young. My Nana left behind many to continue her legacy—children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. My best friend left behind a young son.
Who will continue my legacy after I am gone? As a childless woman, there will be no biological or adopted children through whom I will live on… So, does that mean it all dies with me? My life here on Earth simply a blip.
As I considered this, it dawned on me that it is not a mere biological connection which creates a way for a legacy to live on. No, it is a relationship that creates the possibility for legacy.
What do I mean?
Well, my Nana does not live on through me simply because I am her granddaughter. No, she lives on because she nurtured a deep, connected relationship with me. Because of that, I remember the love she gave me, the things she taught me… And I want her to live on, so I am making a genuine effort to keep her legacy alive.
Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren are not the only people who can carry on a legacy, however. As I stated, my best friend passed away three years ago. Because of our 38-year friendship… Thirty-eight years of laughter and tears, love and fights, memories and more… Because of our relationship, I am determined to keep her legacy alive. A legacy of kindness and keeping secrets and purple hearts…
So, who will continue my legacy? A legacy of pumpkins and pink and Hello Kitty… A legacy of looking at things with a different perspective, redefining, finding joy despite…
Well, I pray that I am showering my nieces and nephews with enough love to last not just my lifetime, but theirs as well. I’m reaching out to friends, making my best effort to forge meaningful connections. And I’m sharing with you… Allowing you to see my heart… Creating a relational moment with a fellow warrior via the internet.
And I hope…
No.
I believe that my efforts to build authentic relationships will live on after I’m gone. My nieces and nephews and friends will remember the love I showed them. And those whom I met for only the briefest of moments… Well, maybe they’ll talk to someone about the fact that legacy is so much more than children. And maybe they won’t even remember why they think that or where they read it… But by sharing that thought, a bit of me will live on. Because I made a difference, albeit small, in helping someone redefine legacy…