As I thought about my dad's upcoming funeral services and a traditional mountain hike that we now name in his memory, I thought about the legacy he leaves and the role of legacy in general.
I looked up the definition of legacy and found that, in this regard, legacy is the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person's life.
As I've noted before, when people die, I look for their legacy--the parts of their life that I will carry on in my own life. What aspects of people's lives do you want to carry forward, and why?
Clearly, Dad's love of the outdoors and adventure was a legacy passed down from his own dad's love of the outdoors, his mom's love of literature, and his ancestry that included great-grandparents who adventured from their homelands to find a better life in the United States. The legacies people pass down are rarely, if ever, unique, but instead the byproduct of legacies they were given by those they loved, learned about, and lived with in life.
I look forward to our yearly tradition to hike and gather in the mountains, because I know how positive that tradition has been for my life, and I wish that same positivity for the lives of my children, grandchildren, and generations to come. To keep the legacy alive requires effort, and the efforts for the mountain trip include coordinating dates/activities with the larger family, preparing the needed food and equipment, securing rentals in the area, and bringing a positive attitude that puts the meaning of the event up front. In this case the meaning is to foster the positive camaraderie, sportsmanship, health, and respect for nature that this annual trip and other adventures like this hike in the mountains bring to life.
As I think about the legacies I want to nurture in my own life, legacies I hope that my children will carry forth, they are the same legacies that I was handed by family members, colleagues, and friends, legacies that include love, respect, and interaction with nature, warm; welcoming homes; and and the efforts to help one another whenever we can. Simple, but meaningful, life-enriching legacies. Onward.
