Understanding Legacy: The Impact of Everyday Actions

The word “Legacy” denotes having enduring impact and/or lasting influence. We may not think we’re living in such a way that anybody is even noticing, in particular; but perhaps you haven’t been around a 5 year old lately?

Our son sent us this picture today….. it’s Hayes, our youngest grandson, who specifically wanted said-picture sent to CarPop. We have NEVER had a conversation with Hayes about why CarPop tends to stuff Kleenex up his nose. (Truth is, he gets nose bleeds on occasion and when he does, he stuffs tissue!) But has our grandson ever asked us about this? No. However, on this particular morning, Hayes woke up with drainage…. and lo and behold, he knew exactly what to do! Instinctively! He knew where he had seen it, where he had learned it, and suddenly he knew WHY…. he knew why CarPop stuffed tissue, and he wanted him to know that he knew! “Send this to CarPop!” He made application for himself.

It’s really made me stop and think….. this thing legacy. I believe I would have said “we need to be intentional about it”, but I’m not sure we need to. I think we’re leaving “something”, whether we try to or not~ If we’re breathing and we’re stuffing tissue, the world will know, or at least our little corner of the watching world will know! Because…..Point #1: People can see. And what they see, is what we do.

Well that brings the discussion in from a side door! Whatever we do….. they are going to see it. We don’t have to make much effort in that regard….. just breath, live life, do what you do; and if they’re around you, are we to assume they’ll see it and be affected by it? Will that impact others, will it have an affect on them, will that work? What kind of legacy is that? I guess it depends on what you’re doing!!! So maybe the better question is….. Point #2 who are you? Who are you and why do you do the things that you do? What’s driving the choices that you make? Because your corner of the world is watching and when life starts dripping on them….. perhaps they’ll feel the impact of that drip, maybe they’ll line it up next to what they’ve seen in you, and end result….. application! Might they learn from what you’ve shown them?!!

Now I know I’m leaning into a juvenile 5-yr old mentality here, and the issues will dramatically increase, but the principle’s intact! I think about “adult world” and the messages I might have sent over the years when life drips…… fear, angst, worry, agitation, get control, Google it, buy new shoes, try not to think about it, focus on something fixable, do laundry, complain, etc. Messages go out — and the world sees. And these messages speak of who I am. But is that who I want to be? Do I want THAT to be what endures and lasts? Will these attributes carry any weight — will they have impact? Is this the influence I want to leave? I think not. But if it’s who I am….. it will be what they see.

Thankfully, tissue-stuffing isn’t CarPop’s only defining message that has gone out to Hayes or to any of our grandsons. Yes, it’s an aspect but as they mature, I think the greater message they’ll see is ….. “my CarPop didn’t care what people thought about him. He was the kind of man who looked at situations and figured out how to fix them. He was creative and even inventive. He never tried to impress anybody. He was always practical and logical. He didn’t worry, he didn’t fret, he took things as they came and he dealt with them.”

Some people talk about trusting the Lord; and CarPop does, albeit he isn’t much on flowery words. But CarPop shows us what that looks like. We see it in who he is! He shows us all… he’s talked me off many a ledge down through the years, with his calm assurance, his trust, his faith, and his ability to take the problem and walk alongside it, without letting it take up residence in his heart or mind. So he stuffs Kleenex… we’ve learned to love that about him!