a challenge to start your own “legacy”
I will be the first to tell you I am not a writer. I have three kiddos and I’ll be honest. I completely FAILED at writing in baby books. My heart was there but with a little one and a husband deployed…those monthly writings in the baby book did not happen. I did manage 6 months of writing for kiddo one…that was it. Mom failure (and thats ok). I tried.
Leaving a legacy does not have to add to your long “to-do” list.
So maybe you are young….maybe you do not have kids….maybe you are older and have lived a wonderful life…
Hmmm…why start a legacy journal now. Notice I did not call it a “diary.” A diary to me feels “daily”. I prefer a “journal” for when I feel a day was important to remember (trip, kids birthday, important decision, bought a house, had a baby, important thoughts, ect).
Over the past few years, I lost most of my family to Covid. I began my own journey of discovering my family. What family I came from, who my ancesters were, scraping for a little bit more about my past. No one was left to fill in the gaps. I wasn’t looking for any big stories, just little bits and pieces that I could no longer ask anyone.
I quickly began preserving my own family history. It was filled with smiles and tears as I learned a little bit more. Some letters, photographs, and a simple diary and writings. This diary wasn’t a monumental piece. Just some early thoughts by a young lady that would one day be so important to me. Simple writings…I went here today, we walked to church today, I liked this boy, ect ect. Just simple writings and then there were writings a little more important later on.
This person did not write everyday or every year….but what they left was a “legacy.”
I see so many memories from different families. It may be print, text, video ect…but what every one has in common is a “family legacy.”
As I reflect on what people bring to me, I have to think ahead of what is important to leave behind. What matters most.
It’s simple….just something. People want just a glimpse of who was special to them.
I am not saying write to die…that just sounds so sad, but write the important moments. Maybe it is the birth of a child, a birthday, an event. It may be once a year you write something down, but years from now those little events add up. There are so many memories I have so quickly forgotten about. A trip to Columbia and being left to find a deserted island and the only American girl and only one speaking English…lol. What an adventure to simple daily things.
I encourage you to write something down…maybe it’s once a month, once a year ect…but when you feel something special happened write it down.
If you have children or grandchildren this is just so important. One day what we thought or did, will matter. Just to catch a little glimpse of the person they miss the most.
My dad and family died very unexpectedly. I treasure all the glimpses of them I have. I know who they were and the people they were, but the little treasures whether in print, writing, ect I treasure. I encourage each of you to “write your legacy” one moment at a time. It doesn’t require a huge commitment…luckily it’s not like a baby book or milestone photo…you can’t fail. Just jot something down every now and then. It’s a great way to look back and remember the events or the blessings or maybe the struggle…but most importantly it’s a “legacy” of words to someone that loves you most.
If starting this in your 20’s or 30’s…how neat to look back when you are older. Just one writing a year is still a lifetime story! Start small with no pressure. The journal below is like $7 or $8. https://amzn.to/3MZNAWB. There are so many options to choose from. This is one idea, I am excited to start. I am encoraging my daughter to start this as well. How neat will it be to write even once every few years from 10 and up. So much fun to one day look back at the little moments we forget over time.
Lots of chooses on amazon. Here’s one I am leaning towards for myself.
https://amzn.to/3MZNAWBUntil next time…. Remember to begin the journey to preserve your family history one moment at a time!