Your Legacy
Last month I had the privilege of attending a family function in Geelong with “the in-laws”. It was a terrific evening on a number of fronts but one thing that stood out to me was the “passing of the baton” from a grandfather to his grandsons.
To set the scene, Keith is the maternal grandfather to our nieces and nephews on Kim’s side and he has terminal, inoperable cancer. He is an astounding bloke and one who is respected by all who know him. Keith has always been the embodiment of a “gentle-man” and has taken his diagnosis and prognosis in his stride. I spent quite some time on the night talking with him about his experiences, memories and cherished parts of his life – a large part of which were his grandsons.
Keith had made the decision that he was going to give each of his grandsons a legacy with a story and effectively ask them to “carry the torch” for a number of things that he felt particularly passionate about throughout his life. The week before the gathering, Keith had taken his eldest grandson to Tasmania for a trout fishing trip (fly fishing of course). Keith taught Samuel how to rig the fly rod, select flies and, most importantly, how to cast a fly. Samuel absolutely loved the experience and rang me to say he was wanting to do more of the fishing thing with me – happily! But, at the end of the trip, Keith presented Samuel with all his fly fishing gear and a wish that Samuel would obtain the same level of enjoyment from it that Keith had done.
On the evening in question, Keith did a similar thing with Hugh (another grandson) – he presented him with a Bible that Keith had purchased when he was in Jerusalem with the British Army along with a cricket bat that Keith had used playing district cricket in England when he was a “young strapping lad”. These were items which Keith had identified as being of importance and resonance to Hugh.
Having participated in this very special night and knowing the boys as I do, these acts by their grandfather will be held as cherished memories for the rest of their lives and will serve as a great example for them as they continue to mature and develop.
It did however get me to thinking – what legacy to we want to leave? How do we want to leave it and how would we like to do it? There are lots of people out there who are focussed on the making of money and the building of empires (large and small) – often to the exclusion of those they care about most deeply. To take a moment and think about the legacy you’re leaving is often somewhat discomfiting but it’s a worthwhile exercise. Focussing too much on material things can often be to the detriment of the things that really matter.
I suppose it is at times like Christmas that family comes more particularly in to the spotlight. Take this festive season to enjoy what you have and thank those around you for what they have brought to your life – you might just start leaving a legacy yourself!
There are lots of Christmas wishes out there at this time of year. All of us in here wish you and yours to have a peaceful and safe Christmas – enjoy the great things about your family.
The New Year is also fast approaching – what resolutions are you not only going to make, but more importantly, keep? Write them down and refer to them – they’ll mean more when you do this.
Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!