Leaving a Legacy

As this post is being written my Mom is getting ready to leave this earth, just about a month and a half shy of her 90th birthday.

Yesterday while visiting her I was struck by how influential Mom has been to all eight of her children and their spouses and children. In fact, she is leaving us a very rich spiritual legacy, one that includes the life experiences of almost nine decades of living.

This thought hit home during lunch, when four siblings and a brother-in-law were gathered around the dining room table, eating a great meal (spaghetti with homemade sauce, garlic bread and salad). Mom wasn't able to join us at the table, being too tired. But as she lay resting in her bed, her spirit was definitely with us.

It's pretty powerful stuff to be reminded so concretely that we are all in the business of forming a legacy that will live on after us. No matter if it's consciously done or not, the choices we make when interacting with others determine much of what that legacy will be and how wide its influence.

Saint Francis of Assisi was supposed to have said, "Preach the gospel. Use words if necessary." Mom took his advice.