This morning I attended the Baccalaureate Mass for our school’s Class of 2015. Our Pastor asked each student to think ahead 60 years and imagine looking back on their lives. “What will your legacy be?” he asked them. He implored them to do more with their lives than just make money. He told them that their legacy is important and that they should make it matter. Each one of us will leave behind a legacy, something that we pass down to future generations, whether we are the President of the United States, a businessman, a teacher, a doctor, or a parent. Each one of us will do or say something that will not be forgotten, good or bad.
If we are lucky, we will be remembered for more than one thing. I hope to be remembered by the whole world as a writer, but I want to remembered by those who knew me best as a faithful wife, mother, friend, and Christian. It doesn’t matter to me if I ever become rich, but I hope that the words I write will someday inspire a generation. I don’t care if I’m ever recognized for the volunteer work I do, but I hope I’ve made a difference in somebody’s life. It won’t mean a thing if I don’t have countless friends, but I hope that the ones I do have know they can always depend on me. I don’t worry about how far I will climb, but I pray that my children will always look up to me.
A few years ago my oldest daughter told me that she believed I had wasted my education (I have a Masters of Library and Information Science) by deciding to stay home and spend more time with my children. Now, of course, I’m a published author with another book on the way, and she sees how hard I worked to get here in spite of concentrating on my family and not my career. Yesterday she told me that she never appreciated me enough and thanked me for being the mother I am. I’d say that’s a pretty good legacy to leave behind even if I never do anything else for the next 60 years.
Amy Schisler is an author of mystery and suspense novels. Her first book, A Place to Call Home is in its second printing and may be purchased in stores, online, and through ibooks. Her previously published children’s book, Crabbing With Granddad may be purchased in stores and on Amazon.
You may follow Amy at http://facebook.com/amyschislerauthor on Twitter @AmySchislerAuth and on her web site http://amyschislerauthor.com
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