Dripping Life January 30

The subject of legacies had come up for me two times during the last few weeks.

What's a legacy?

Well, if you ask any group of people, some will immediately say its money and/or property you leave to your children, grandchildren or favorite charity. But, in my mind, a legacy is much more than money or possessions.

Webster's Dictionary (the online version, since my personal copy has been ravaged into uselessness) defines "legacy" as something someone has achieved and continues to be remembered after they stop working or die, as in, "He left his children a legacy of love and respect."

Some legacies -- like the late UT Coach Darrell Royal’s, as an example -- will be remembered a lot longer than, say, yours or mine -- unless we win three national championships or 11 conference titles in the next few years or someone renames the UT football stadium in our honor.

Still, every one of our legacies is important because they symbolize our efforts to make this place better than we found it. (This will sound familiar to Scouts)

Many years ago, we had some great neighbors -- Doc and Julie. They were empty-nesters and he had just retired as a chemist for a big oil company. Doc’s pride was his yard. It was pristine, like every blade of grass in his lawn was the same height. Every flower bed was free of weeds and mulched to perfection. Every hedge was perfectly trimmed and every season, new annuals were planted.

His pride in his yard pushed us to keep up, mainly because -- well, how obvious would it be if we were terrible lawn-maintenance neighbors? We loved these surrogate parents so much because we were practically newlyweds (living far from home), and we didn’t want Doc’s hard work to be sitting next to a shabby lawn.

Doc made our world a better place. His gardening talents were but a small part of his legacy, but he left our neighborhood and our lives better than he found them.

On topic, I also remember one 40-something woman on the cleaning staff at a South Austin hospital. She always had a cheery word each time she came into the room. The second week we were there, she noticed there was only one of those so-called “loungers” for me to sleep in beside my husband’s bed.

“Oh honey,” she said as she was mopping the floor one afternoon. “I’m gonna go down to OB and get you a Daddy-bed. They’re much more comfortable and you’ll be able to sleep better.”

I asked her not to get in trouble on my behalf, but about 30 minutes after she finished cleaning, she returned, pushing a chair that easily folded out into a very comfortable bed.

I’m sure she’s probably forgotten how much I appreciated that Daddy-bed by now, but in my mind, that kind of caring stamped her legacy on my heart forever…and I could go on.

But my point is this: you don’t have to be a winning football coach, a million-selling recording artist, a TV star or any kind of celebrity to make this world a better place or amass a gigantic legacy. Instead, in the final analysis, all you have to ask yourself is, “Can I take pride in how I’m living my life? Did I do more to help than hurt people? In the lives of those I touch, do I make life easier or more difficult? Do I bring more joy or pain, more happiness or problems? (No fair listening to my daughters-in-law!) and finally, am I, regularly, making our world a better place?

Cat Stevens, a singer from the late ’60s and '70s (one of my favs) who is now a full-time philosopher, said this about one's legacy: "The greatest legacy is that which benefits the widest number of people for the longest period without limit to its value."

Cat Stevens, by no means, is the last word about building one's legacy, but his theory is a good starting point...and may be a good guide when thinking about your legacy.

But probably the best guide is understanding our legacy mirrors the quality of our lives. It's the gift of hope and believing someone. It's sharing your talents, skills and caring and giving to others, expecting nothing in return, from a heart brimming with love. 

So, as we continue through this new year--the start of a new decade, take a moment to ask: “What's my legacy, thus far? How am I doing…,” and if you need to drop a habit, tweak your attitude or improve your outlook, there’s no time like the present!

It’s something to think about.