Firstly, about 6 weeks ago, I went with my Mum and Sister to a medium who connected us with my grandmother.
Secondly, I did a vision board exercise with some of the other local Intimo stylists and it was what the stylist running the session said that got me thinking. She said that when we are creating a vision board, we need to think about how we want to be remembered and what we would like to leave behind that is what should go on our vision board.
I've never truly sat down and thought about it in that particular way but it really did get me thinking about what I want my legacy to be.
If you ask anyone about my grandmother, I'm quite sure they will all talk about how warm and inviting she was. This woman was the sort of person that bought extra presents at Christmas just in case anyone turned up that didn't already have a present to open. I can guarantee, those people will also mention food. You could turn up at her house any day of the week and if you happened to still be around near meal times, you would get an invite and a meal fit to feed a small army would be produced at the drop of a hat. And if she felt there wasn't quite enough to feed everyone, she would send one of us down to the shop to pick up some hot chips to make it all go a bit further.
My grandmother is the one that taught my Mum (her daughter in law) to sew, to drive and to cook (among many other things). She always over catered, she was generous with her time and her money, she was fiercely protective of her family, she loved to travel, she exuded an overwhelming sense of love to anyone she considered family or friend and she really knew how to laugh.
Unfortunately, Granny is no longer with us but fortunately, she passed the baton of matriarch to my Mum.
This quote probably sums up the biggest legacy that my Mum has already imprinted on me.
Growing up, we never had a lot of money (I'm sure we probably had less than I even thought we did) but Mum and Dad chose for Mum to stay home with us children because they valued what that meant for us. It meant that we got picked up and dropped off at school, we always had a home cooked meal for dinner, we always had someone to help us with homework or talk about our day with and while that meant we didn't have the latest game or washing machine, or car or get to go on holidays much, I wouldn't have changed it at all.
These two women are my biggest role models in life and if I live to be half the woman they are/were then I will be one hell of a woman!
So now that I'm a Mum and I'm thinking about my legacy, there are a few things that I will do my best to ensure live on beyond me...
- Family - it comes above everything else
- Food - there will always be enough for anyone that comes over and I will keep the family recipes going
- Travel - it is food for the soul and helps us appreciate everything we have
- Crafts - whether it be sewing, cross stitch, scrapbooking, teddy bear making, quilting or something else - I will pass on the skills that Granny taught us
- Laughter - If we can't laugh at ourselves and each other, then life will be very dull indeed
- Love - the more we give, the more we receive and it's never ending. You can't buy it but having it will make you richer than all the gold in the world
I encourage you all to think about your legacy too - it's a wonderful exercise to really connect you with what you want out of life and get you focused on what's really important to you.
What a lovely read Toni! And I am pretty much on the same wavelength where I really want to be thwre for my children as much as I can because it won't be long until they a grown up and these years dissappear xoxo
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