Legacy..................

I went to a friend of my mother-in-law's funeral on Monday. I felt attending was the least I could do seeing as Alice had made the journey to South Africa almost 10 years ago to attend my wedding. She accompanied me on the start of a journey and I accompanied her to the end of hers.

Alice had 4 kids a result of 56 years of marriage. She left quite a legacy. She was an atypical American parent. Most of my friends parents are really out for themselves, Alice was a devoted mom - it made me wonder what my legacy would be. One day when people stand on a podium and eulogize me what would it be that I would have done to touch their lives? I don't get caught up in death more in the fact that life is so short and such a treasure and I hope to be there for my kids as my folks have been for me. I don't have a laundry list of things I have to do, when I was 20 years old a friend of mine almost died in a horrific car crash. That event was a defining moment for me as it hit home that we were not guaranteed a place in life we had to take it and make it ours. From that day on I embraced the truth, made sure to tell those I knew how much I loved them and how much I cared. I decided to do whatever it is I needed to so I could say I had not lived a grey life and I do feel that. I don't feel a discontentment with my lot, in fact I feel rather content, I feel like i have pushed the envelope, lived a million lifetimes in one and while the road is far is far from over its been a good journey. I hope my kids have some sense of clarity of what I see in them and who I think they can be, I hope they see it in themselves and allow themselves to be defined by the light in the souls not the glow on the neon plastic that beckons the youth of today. My legacy I guess is in these souls I love and the next 60-odd years we have together (wishful thinking but one can hope).