You should be known for the beauty that comes from within. the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is so precious to God. 1 Peter 3:4
Mother’s Day has left us with a deep appreciation for those who have given us life and sustained us during our growing up years, our adult years, and our lives to this point. During the celebration, memories of those we hold dear flooded my heart and mind, and I began to ponder the importance of the legacy that we all leave behind.
During the past few weeks, some of us have had the sad privilege of sitting at the funeral of those friends whom we held dear. It was a time to reflect and celebrate their life’s accomplishments by those who knew the person best. I remember thinking at every one, “I wish I had had the opportunity to know them better.”
The word eulogy is defined as a speech or piece of writing that praises someone highly. An obituary is a notice of death containing an autobiography, but a legacy is something we leave behind for the next generation. This legacy can be possessions, principles, or people we have influenced whose lives are better because of knowing us. If an obituary tells that a person lived, a eulogy tells how well they lived.
Recently, my sister found a few pages that our Mama had written reflecting on her first fifty years. She said, “I need another fifty to do all the things I’ve started and would like to finish. Now, I find myself on the fringe of an exciting new age that I, in all likelihood, will only be afforded a fleeting glimpse. At the same time, I can look back over the past fifty years and marvel at all the many discoveries and changes and relish the thought of having been part of the wonder and progress of this age.”
Our Mama lived her eulogy. She loved life and was fascinated by the changes in the world during her life time. She lived for intrinsic markers of success, such as meaningful relationships and fulfilling work that would impact others. If you ask people who knew her, what they would miss about her, there would be dozens of different answers that included everything from her smile, to her voice, from her get well cards, to her macaroni and cheese, the list was endless. She made an impact and humbly walked and lived her faith.
Most of the time a eulogy is written by a loved one after one’s death. I read somewhere that the practice of writing our own eulogy wherever we are right now in life is a powerful exercise. I’ve found it to be true. If we write down what we want people to say about us at the end of our life now, it can change our current life and help us to align ourselves with what is really important. Bonnie Ware said, “writing your eulogy can help you live a courageous life true to yourself and not what others expect of you.”
Today is all we have to make changes for the good. None of us know if we will be around to see tomorrow, for we don’t know what a day may bring. (Proverbs 27:1)
No matter who we are, we will live a legacy. Proverbs says, “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.” When someone loves us enough to leave us a legacy, we treasure it and treat it in a way that honors them.
I love Grenville Kleiser”s thoughts on life. He says, “Your life is like a book. The title page is your name. The preface is your introduction to the world. The pages are a daily chronicle of your efforts, trials, pleasures, discouragements, ambitions and achievements. One day the word, Finis must be written. Let it then be said of your life that it is a record of noble purpose, generous service, and work well done.”
When we ponder the question, “What would our grave marker say about us?” There are two things I would like to try to do. The first is to be intentional every day. That way, the odds of making an impact on the next generation are increased. Secondly, I would remember that the sum of how we live each day becomes our legacy. Each day should consist of inspiration and ideals.
Henry David Thoreau voiced his concern that when it came time to die, he would discover that he never fully lived. If we live our eulogy that will never happen to us!