Legacies

On February 22, my family said their final goodbye to my grandmother, Lillian. At 94, she had lived a long and vibrant life. She had grown up in the 1920s, lived through the Great Depression and World War II, graduated from college as a nurse, married her sweetheart, raised four children, delighted in her seven grandchildren, cultivated her flower garden, traveled the world, and loved God. Her smile, her laughter, her voice, her hobbies, her heart, and just her being Grandmother is hard to say goodbye to, but it is joyful to know where she is now. 

As I write this, I am looking at the heirlooms from my grandmother - a small china doll that looks like she is singing, a bell that hung in her kitchen (one of many that told us when dinner was ready!), and the kimono and straw hat I wore as a six-year old on her back porch playing tea with my dolls. These are objects from my childhood at Grandmother's that will help keep the memories of her always close to my heart. 

Since saying goodbye to Grandmother, I have been thinking about life, about legacies, about our gifts that we pass down to others in our lives when this life has ended. What do I want my legacy to be? What do I want to leave behind to the world? What do I want people to remember about me? These are questions that I am still working on answers to. But, I do know that every day is a gift from our Father, and each day should be a day where we leave a mark for Christ. I want to live for Christ and to show Him to people through my life. I will try to leave His footprints on my path as I journey homeward. 

Life may seem like it will last forever, but it is just a breath, a shadow and a dream. It is very fragile, and we only have one chance to make an impact. What will your legacy be? For what do you want to be remembered?