September 1, 2019
What kind of legacy do you want to leave?
This is the question that was asked. It is such an easy question to answer because without trying or thinking, we all leave a legacy whether we want to or not. The hard part is whether the legacy has any value, merit, or enduring value?
Children and grandchildren are our most obvious legacy. Wealth or a person’s estate is probably the most talked about, fought over, and thought about. Less tangible, but sometimes more important, are the accomplishments of our lives, what we did, built, changed, influenced, or wrote.
I always thought it would be nice to be remembered. The older I become the less important that has become to me. It really does not matter if anyone remembers me. It amazes me how little I think about my parents for which I have the deepest respect, love, and gratitude. They have been gone for 25 years now. On occasion I think about them but almost immediately I am caught up in the present.
Over the last ten years I have tracked how many funerals I have attended. On average it is about five funerals annually, the most was eight and the least was three. At the end of the year I can hardly remember what funerals I attended until I pull out the memorial service notices. Sooner than I want, I will be one of those notices.
Ecclesiastes 7:2 puts it like this: “…death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” And for this reason, I write this short reflection. I have been most fortunate in that my work for the most part has been most rewarding, beneficial to mankind, and enjoyable. Work for me has always been a 24/7 job opportunity. I take great pleasure and contentment in seeing my children embrace the clean water enterprise we founded. Just today I heard that our oldest grandson has some interest and would like to be involved someday. This is a legacy one cannot plan for but is a great gift. I believe that comes by loving what one does and doing it with joy and passion. Excuse me…I have to go to work now!
Lou, after working in the financial services industry for 35 years now I have had 74 clients pass away. Legacy in terms of “Financial Assets” seems to be so overblown. Yes, I do believe it is a good thing to leave a financial legacy if at all possible. Life insurance can be a vital component in Legacy planning. However, in many cases an inheritance can be an ugly issue to deal with. Families are often at odds about who gets how much or anything at all. The person who leaves the Legacy will never know what a blessing it was for family members to receive a much needed cash infusion. They also will never know how it was spent on foolish items that rust, break and mean nothing just a few months after the purchase. Leaving a Legacy should be a crucial conversation between the giver and the person or person’s receiving the gift. I especially enjoyed your comments:
Will anyone remember the accomplishments of our lives, what we did, built, changed, influenced, or wrote.
I always thought it would be nice to be remembered. The older I become the less important that has become to me. It really does not matter if anyone remembers me. It amazes me how little I think about my parents for which I have the deepest respect, love, and gratitude. They have been gone for 25 years now. ⏳/