Hello friends! Thanks for coming back today. This week I have a serious question for us all, that affects those around us and more for years to come. What legacy will you be leaving?
We all have ways that we leave our mark (and as the old saying goes, “some leave their stain”.) A legacy is more than just money or property. Our legacy can be traditions, ideas, values, and lessons passed down through the generations.
I started thinking about that this week while visiting my daughter in Richmond, Virginia. What a city with history!
A visit to a legacy property
One night we took the family to ‘Garden Glow’ at the Maymont estate. The Maymont is a Victorian estate and (now) public park on 100-acres in Richmond. It was left by the Dooley family in 1925 to the city of Richmond and houses the historic house museum, an arboretum, a Japanese garden, a carriage collection, native wildlife exhibits, a nature center, and a petting zoo.
The Garden Glow event is done in the fall (and sponsored by Kroger as an annual fundraiser) and provides amazing light displays that transform the gardens and surroundings of Maymont with color and light. There is music, food trucks, and interactive displays to delight all ages.
As I walked around and experienced the wonder, watching many hundreds of people enjoy the beauty on this majestic property above the James River, I couldn’t help but think of what a legacy this family had left. Here we all were, one hundred years after they lived, enjoying what they had built and so graciously donated to this city for the people to enjoy.
Obvi, you know how my brain works, so it got me thinking. After I had to stalk them on Wikipedia and learn a bit more, I started pondering what an amazing legacy they had left and surmised that, they could never have even foreshadowed all the wonder that the future would hold on this beautiful spot of land. And of course, that led me to wonder, what legacy am I leaving?
What will people remember?
So clearly, whenever I am gone, my children will be having the most amazing estate sale ever! If there isn’t a line around the block, then obviously, I have done something wrong. But outside of all the ‘stuff’ we leave behind here on earth, what will people remember about us? I have always loved this quote:
“I am going to make everything around me beautiful. That will be my life.” –Elsie de Wolfe
Elsie de Wolfe was known to be the first female interior decorator, as a profession. At the turn of the 20th century, when everything was dark and heavy Victorian, she introduced light and airy spaces that served better function. Can you imagine how scandalous that must have been at the time? Ohhhh, I love the thought of reckless women in history, just making things more beautiful!
How will we be remembered? Are we leaving our mark on the world and how far will it extend? Trust me, I am sure very few are leaving a legacy like the Dooley’s, and I am completely fine if only my immediate family are the ones who remember me. But what exactly should we be leaving behind? Here’s a few ideas I thought of:
- traditions at home and around the holidays
- family stories that were pivotal or humorous that share the character of the person
- places you frequented and made memories together
- skills you learned and shared with others through an object (quilting, painting, scrapbooking perhaps)
- skills you taught others and passed down knowledge
- rituals and quirks (will their still be Costco in 100 years so our ancestors can feel the same joy that hubby has visiting there?)
- testimonies of God and life and how challenges were handled
- a curiosity for life and learning
- love, kindness, and forgiveness (everyone can benefit from those traits being handed down through the generations)
- recipes for special items always made
The backdrop of our lives
So here’s where we get thinking a bit. What legacy do you want to leave behind? How do you want people to feel when they are in your home, whether they live there or are just visiting? What items with meaning will you leave behind? Our home is the backdrop and set design to our life, so what would you want to change?
I spend too much time telling my kids that “I will leave a book with all the info” and now I just need to do it. My big goal for 2027 is to organize that ‘when I die’ type book so you know what was inherited and has meaning versus what I found at an estate sale. I have been thinking about that for a bit, and will share what I come up with, so stay tuned.
But more than things, is the TIME and LOVE we put into our legacy. Where we spend time, is where our heart is. So here is a reality check this week…are you spending time with who you love? Doing what you love? Remember who and what is your legacy and do accordingly.
We did a little family activity together with my daughter and her sweet family. She had some clay so we all sculpted some new ornaments for their Christmas tree. The kids loved it! The clay is easy to form and air dries in days. It’s cheap and makes a fun activity, you should try some out.
We all ended up having a great time. I made an avocado, a wreath, and initials for everyone in their family. The kids did trees, stars, snowmen and other fun shapes. It was super enjoyable and oddly relaxing and will be a great memory.
Next week I will be back home and hopefully will have more to share about the house renovation. The holidays are coming in hot!
More time and traditions just around the corner
With the holidays just around the corner, the things I have been finding, earmarking, and buying will make the holidays easier and pretty.
Love this pretty plaid, for warm and cozy decor.
The table can look lovely with these, for lingering and good conversations.
These could be soooo cute added to a wreath.
Cause you know how I love a good buffalo check. And it is getting chilly!
I have the charcoal one, and it is perfect!
More to come
Okay, this week I am back into renovation mode to finish the sunroom/dining room before hosting Thanksgiving in our new/old house. Things are not done, but I am committed to live in the moment and take it all as it is.
I hope you have a great week and think about what legacy you are leaving. I would also love to know what your favorite tradition is, or what is something that you have passed down to the next generation. Tell me below in the comments.
