Anne Elizabeth Denny has a wonderful blog in which she talks about preparing for death—ours and that of those we love. Her blog is not at all a downer. She has wonderful ideas that make final times easier and smoother.
Recently she talked about the legacy we leave. I'm certain that I've blogged on that subject, perhaps long ago. But it's not a once-and-done topic. It bears thinking about. When she talks about leaving behind a legacy, she isn't referring to the financial legacy. Most of us won't have millions to leave behind for our families. She means the impact we have on the lives of others. That's what I always mean, too, when I speak or write of our legacy.
In this recent blog, Denny talked about three "priceless, extraordinary gifts" we can give:
1) The gift of you. Your time, skills and abilities are a gift to others—and your influence and encouragement are amazing gifts.
2) The gift of forgiveness. How healing it is to give and receive forgiveness. It lightens the load for everyone involved.
3) The gift of peace. When you experience a broken relationship in your life, seeking reconciliation is such a gift. To you and to the other person. As Denny says, you can foster peace, too, by withholding judgment as you listen to the views of others whose worldview may be different from yours. She also points out that when we create plans for our end-of-life journey, we promote family peace. How much easier that will make life for our loved ones.
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