My legacy

I can’t help but to think of what I’ll leave behind when looking ahead. What will my life amount to? This powerful and stimulating question, may, of itself be worth far more than its answer. In fact if, after exploring and building upon the thoughts this question will bring about, I am able to act, I may be fortunate to bring about a real and lasting legacy. The key may be to remind myself to consistently ask this guiding question. I’ll admit that sitting here, writing this, I’m a bit starry-eyed. As a 23 year-old, husband and father to one, everything is still so new and life seems to be racing in fast forward. There is so much life left to live, and yet I’m learning quickly just how fast life can past. I consider this opportunity to imagine and prepare for the legacy I hope to leave a privilege. I wish to admit here, both to myself and my reader, that the principles and paradigms I now adhere to will likely shift and mature. That understood, and despite the unanswerables, please entertain my brief, but meaningful, explorations as I consider the Legacy I wish to leave. Let me first differentiate between two similar but fundamentally distinct terms—legacy and heritage. Put simply, a heritage would be the tangible, and legacy the intangible things left behind. I most certainly hope and intend to be productive and prudent enough throughout my life to provide and leave a heritage of wealth and material possessions. So, wealth is not a bad thing, right? I cannot discount the value in the “things” I hope to leave behind, but I do believe that they will have their limitations. A house will grow old and become outdated, and a sum of money will soon be spent. A Legacy, in contrast, may not be as easily measured, but can be valued for generations. My life may well be spent in the accumulation of things so as to provide both comfort and enjoyment for my family, but the legacy I wish to leave will be born in the words shared and lessons learned in the moments I’m afforded