Leaving Your Legacy

Ever since my senior high school government teacher made us read the newspaper everyday, I have been hooked on reading obituaries (Thank you Mr. Phillips). I began by reading the San Francisco Chronicles' obituaries almost 20 years ago, graduated to the LA Times when I moved to LA to attend UCLA in the early 90s and today I read the obituaries from the LA Times, NY Times, Washington Post and online. I have an entire file at home for obituaries of saved articles that are memorable to me. 98% of these people I never knew. I save them for different reasons, famous, infamous and just the "regular" citizen. I am fascinated by who writes them, what they say, if there is a picture included, if the deceased person's quotes are included, if others' quotes are included, positioning of the article on the page, if it's a paragraph or three pages long, basically, who gets what, but most importantly, I am interested in the legacy they have left. Legacy often refers to money or property left behind. I am not referring to that kind of inheritance. Leaving a legacy for me is about what differences he/she made in the world to leave it a better place.

Call me crazy but obituaries inspire me while reminding me how precious life is. They make me grateful for everyday I am here to give. They represent a celebration of life to me. I enjoy reading about how the person is remembered. How would you like to be remembered?

A great exercise (some may say is a bit off) that I like to do is writing my obituary every couple of years. Its keeps me on track in giving of my time, love and also allows me to spend some time thinking about what legacy I am leaving. All of us can and need to make a difference in this world. I live to give. Leaving your legacy includes volunteering. We all have time to volunteer and if you never have, I recommend getting involved on any level possible. It can be 30 minutes of your time once a year or 30 minutes of every day. We all have the power to make a difference and leave a legacy. I am not a great inventor, artist, photographer, musician, actor, scientist, or politician but I am someone that can make a difference, leave a legacy and so can you. Read the obituaries page of the Sunday paper and be inspired like I am.

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Comments

[aliberlin]

Diana, Coincidentally, I was reading the obituaries last weekend (before reading your post) and feeling a deep appreciation for the lives lived and stories told. What spoke to me most was the big picture that is ever present in each acknowledgment (as you have noted)- the love of family, passionate drive and notable causes that make each life meaningful. It's a huge reminder to remember what it is we are here on earth for and a gentle nudge to live into that purpose with much more conviction. I love the perspective you bring and am always delighted, surprised and awakened by your posts. Thank you, thank you. Love, Ali

[horhay]

I thought these quotes were relevant in regard to our legacies:

But if these people of the future are better than we are, they will, perhaps, look back at us with feelings of pity and tenderness for struggling souls who once divined a little of what the future would bring. -George Sand

One changes from day to day…every few years one becomes a new being -- George Sand

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.

Source: A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson, as quoted by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech, 1994

[Diana Bianchini - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you for these quotes as shared by Marianne Williamson from Nelson Mandela. Both two people that have already given us lifetimes of legacy. Marianne Williamson is the founder of Project Angel Food and charity in Los Angeles I have worked for for over 6 years so I have had the pleasure of being with her on several occasions. She is masterful, beautiful and such a strength of light.

[horhay]

I wanted to thank you for this post. My Dad died at the end of August, and I gave a eulogy about him at his funeral in early September. So I have reflected a lot about his legacy, and what is the purpose of our time on this planet. Indeed, what will my legacy be?

While I am definitely thinking about my legacy, at the moment I am still going through the motions (& emotions) of his death. Something that I really realized about my Dad was how affected he was being born in Chicago during the Depression. He used to tell me about how his family was sitting & listening to the radio when Pearl Harbor was obliterated on December 7, 1941. He was a third generation Russian-Jewish American and while WWII was being fought, his family moved out to Los Angeles.
When WWII ended, he was about 9 years old and as details were emerging about the horrid conditions and inhumanity of the concentration camps, I think this really scared the h*ll out of him. He didn't want me or my brother to have to ever endure such a dark time. So I try to do what I can to make sure it doesn't happen.

I'm still working on my legacy. But my Dad's was to be accepting & tolerant of all nationalities & religions(& sexual preferences). He was always so proud of me & my wife & did his best to make our lives the best they

[Diana Bianchini - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you for posting a comment on my post. I am sorry to hear that you lost your Dad and so recently. A loss as such brings us much time to reflect and remember as you said. I commend you for standing and giving the eulogy at your father's funeral. I know how hard that can be. Your father's legacy is brave and beautiful. I wish you, your wife and your family strength and love. DB