Catholic Husband

Love / Lead / Serve

Leaving A Legacy

One of the strangest experiences I've ever had is seeing pictures of my parents when they were first married.

As a child, you know your parent in one dimension. They are the mature, wise, fully grown adult. You never get to meet or interact with your youthful parents in any memorable way.

When it comes to the topic of legacy, you should consider what you leave your children beyond money.

Certainly there will be stories and family folklore. You should also consider leaving them a written history.

My wife and I have been working on writing down our family history. We are each writing about our own childhoods and working together to share the real life journey story that begins when we met.

As life happens, we plan to add chapters and sections that will highlight important family or personal events.

By the time my life comes to a close, I hope that this work is a great adventure for my children, grandchildren and beyond. I’m trying to be honest so that they can really understand who I am. I am partly inspired by the brutally honest Steve Jobs biography (title?).

Not that my life is ugly, but I want them to know and understand my thinking through difficult decisions.

Consider leaving a written record to your own children. They may not appreciate it today. One day, however, it will be a cherished experience for them to get to know you as person, not just you as parent.