Legacy
Legacy
I had the privilege of seeing my two-month old granddaughter for the first time yesterday. Charlotte Jane Keller came into this world in February of 2010 and we had our first conversation last night. She, of course, spoke in her own language, which was rich in coo’s and ahh’s and lavished with wonderful smiles. I asked her how her life was going so far and she responded by saying that up to this point, not bad. Her parents were decent folks, and her big sister was definitely “coo”-l.
I am reminded in looking into Charlotte’s eyes for the first time how our decisions affect future generations. I met Charlotte’s grandmother in 1975 and we were married eleven months later. Our son, Christopher, was born 10 months after we were married (great planning on our parts!) and we were off and running trying to be a family that would be a safe and loving place for one and all. Those 34 years were full of adventure, tears, fun and drama. But I decided to love a woman that would be my wife. And we decided to love our children as best we could and through trial and error were able to see our two children grow to be adults and have loving families of their own.
The course of our lives are driven by our decisions. And seemingly small and what seems to be minor decisions can have a major impact on the direction of our lives. Seeing Charlotte was a reminder that each decision that I make is an important one and that it affects lives other than my own. Charlotte’s very existence stems from a decision that I made 34 years ago.
In seeing my new granddaughter for the first time, I am reminded that we need to weigh our decisions carefully and understand that each one affects the course of our lives. And, we need to realize that those decisions become our legacy.
Jim
