Daily writing promptWhat is the legacy you want to leave behind?View all responses When God calls me home one day, I hope to leave a legacy like my dad did. I remember when he passed away and we had his visitation at the funeral home. The line was …
When God calls me home one day, I hope to leave a legacy like my dad did. I remember when he passed away and we had his visitation at the funeral home. The line was out the door and around the parking lot to pay honor to a man that had left a legacy on his family, community and state. He was a retired police officer that worked a second job for over 30 years doing home improvement, maintenance, carpet, linolium and anything he could for the people he served. He rode around in his police cruiser and had a toolbox in the back of it for fixing things for little old ladies and single moms.
These folks had in many cases been left alone by family and did not have the resources to get their washer, dryer or sink worked on. He would work all day as a policeman, then go fix some peoples stuff and come home. But that is just a small piece of what he actually did. He was a great dad, little coach, farmer, mechanic, friend and community volunteer. My dad worked after school volunteering at the local high school my brothers and I attended. He was the boosters club president and along with my mom and a few other sets of parents raised millions of dollars for the athletic complexes, uniforms, food, gear and whatever those kids needed.
Now you see what kind of legacy my dad left and I learned a lot from watching and observing he and my awesome mom all their years on earth. Even well into retirement they were doing wheels on wheels, civitans, lions club and boosters activity. They taught me that a legacy is not what size house, how many acres of land or how much money they aquired in life. They taught me that a legacy is based on how you serve as a father, brother, son, mother, friend, family member and community member.
I often say that I hope to be half the man my dad was and leave the same type of legacy. A legacy that demonstrates faith, family and friends as what is most important in life. A legacy that truly changes lives at the local level. I see all these people seeking world change for overseas countries. Why not out that energy into your local food bank, church funds, community sports teams, mentor teens, adopt a dog, adopt a child and that is the legacy you will leave and hundreds of people will show up to pay homage to your faith, family and friends because you took action at the local level and truly changed someone's life.
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