Passing It On

Occasionally, I think about the kind of legacy I will leave behind when God decides it is time to take me home. Some of you may say that is morbid. Really, it is just following the Boy Scouts of America motto of “Be Prepared.” (Yes, my boys are scouts!) The fact is we all will die, and like it or not, our lives will have stood for something.  The question boils down to, What will that something be?

Recently, I was talking to one of my husband’s sisters. She was describing her week’s time with two of her eight grandchildren. Every summer she and her husband plan time to have each of their grandchildren visit for some grandparent time. They plan many fun activities, creating lasting memories and passing on their traditions and beliefs. What an incredible legacy of love to pass on!

And about a year ago, I heard about a more organized version of this grandparent time called Granny Camp (an idea I hope to implement as a granny).  For more than a decade, Anne Dierks and her husband, Don, set aside a certain amount of time (usually a week) for all or some of their grandchildren (14 total) to stay with them–no parents allowed! At this annual Granny Camp, there are games, crafts, kid-friendly food, laughter, memories, relationship building, fun, and love. It is a fabulous time for getting to know cousins and grandparents, but more importantly, it is an avenue to impart beliefs and values to the next generation.

Although an exciting and valuable idea, there are additional ways to leave a lasting legacy that don’t require so much exhaustion. My father-in-law, Don, went to his eternal rest August 5, 2005. He was a principled man who loved his Lord and his family intensely and in that order. He chose to pass on his love and faith quietly and through example. His was a powerful legacy! One of faithfulness, love, and integrity.

What legacy will I leave? Is it one of an immaculate housekeeper (not a chance!); a productive, busy mother; a willing chauffeur; a hard worker and savvy investor who can pass on a tidy financial inheritance; an athletic wonder (again, not a chance!); or one of even more lasting significance?

Don set the standard high throughout his life and even as he reached out his hand one last time to offer a final silent blessing to his grandchildren. I can only hope to live my life as he did, in a way that passes on the most important legacy of all to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’, and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Luke 10:27).

Plan now to live life with joy and a purpose!