Beech Tree News Network

Do you have legacies from your grandmother or mother? As Mother’s Day approaches, I think of the things my grandmothers and mother have taught me – their legacy to me.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines legacy as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.” One of the examples given was: “He left his children a legacy of love and respect” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legacy). In this instance, the legacy was not material but was an attitude or feeling.

My great-grandmother taught me from an early age to help my mom around the house. When I sat on her foot and she held my hands while bouncing me (Ride a horse, go to town, don’t let this horse fall down.), she would encourage me to help my mom with household chores. She said that any chore I was able to do would be a help to my mom. Thus, her legacy to me was to value work.

My grandmother’s life was an example of helping family members and making choices that would benefit family. In addition to being a wife and mother, Grandmother worked as an elementary school teacher and cared for different family members who were ill or too old to care for themselves (She helped care for neighbors who were ill, too.). She generously encouraged and helped family members along their chosen paths by giving her time – and occasionally, financial support – to help them achieve their goals. My grandmother’s legacy to me was to value and nurture family ties.

My mother (and my dad) taught me many things, but one thing that stands out is the desire to have an education. Though my parents had six children, my mom encouraged each one of us to attend college. My mom believed that we should experience college. So, each one of us attended WKU until we knew whether we wanted to continue or not (Some eventually graduated from other institutions.). One of my mom’s legacies to me is a value for education.

Now, I wonder what my legacy for my children and grandchildren will include. Hopefully, it will include a reverence for God. And, I’d like to pass on a good work ethic. When my daughters were younger, I made Saturday chore lists for each of them, and today, they all hold jobs as well as being wives and mothers. I would be pleased to see them value family ties. Since we haven’t had any long-lasting feuds and normally sit down to Sunday lunch together, I hope value for family is also a legacy. Additionally, since they have worked hard to gain the education necessary for their chosen careers, I feel fairly confident that they value education. I don’t know what else my legacy includes; but, as a mother and grandmother, I hope I’m passing on the right things to my children and grandchildren.

Proverbs 1:8-9 advises: “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck” (NIV). Like many of you, I hope to pass along good legacies to my children and grandchildren.