Milestones And Legacies

My Mother is turning 80. (She's the one to the far left in the picture. One of three daughters seen here with their Mother.) We had a special party with family and friends this past Sunday. I don't know about you, but for me family gatherings and special occasions like these cause me to reflect a lot. If I wax a little nostalgic and sentimental, please forgive me. As I watched a memory picture montage play to the music of Paul Anka and The Times Of Your Life, I couldn't help but think about all the people, places and events in our lives that shape who we are today. Pictures of my Mom's family growing up on a rural farm during the Great Depression only remind me of the values that were instilled in her. Values that she in turn passed down to me and my sister. The pictures of my sister and me as children, photo's of my Dad (who passed away when I was barely 15), they send a flood of memories and for me they are all happy. I wish so much that my Dad were here today to see the fruit of the times he spent and the love he shared that helped shape the person I have become today. And I wish he could have met my wife and got to know his grandkids. But somehow I believe God knows this and will one day make it all up.

I realize for some, growing up isn't something they remember fondly. Thankfully for me and my sister, we remember a household filled with love, laughter and good times.

Much of what I draw on today as a husband, father and friend had its beginnings indirectly in those tinted family photos of the farmhouse in the 1930's. Much of values instilled and ingrained into my very soul are values my parents passed on. As we celebrated my Mom's milestone, I can only pray that my wife and children will have such pleasant memories of our home and growing together as a family. We all leave a legacy to future generations.

Fortunately, I have a pleasant past and good memories to draw on as I build a legacy for my family. I realize we are all not as fortunate. While none of us can do anything about the past, we can all do something about the present and the future. What kind of legacy will you leave.