Like most Americans, I spent Wednesday and Thursday of last week glued to the television watching in awe as the nation said goodbye to one of its heroes.  It was impossible not to be inspired by the life and legacy of George H.W. Bush. His was a life of achievement, of bravery, and of service.  His most lasting legacy, however, was that of a father, a husband, a grandfather, and a friend. He changed our lives, and he changed our country’s life.  We are all better because we knew him, and it was a honor to celebrate such a meaningful life.  It also made me pause to reflect on my own legacy. What would people say about me if they were standing at the front of a church?  Or rather, what do I want people to remember about me?  What do I want my legacy to be?

My legacy, I hope, would be that of a good mother, a mother who was patient and kind and who fiercely loved her children.  A mother who protected her children and advocated for her children no matter what.  A mother who knew when to step in and when to step back.  A mother who joyously served her family whether it was on her knees as she dressed children or on weary feet preparing yet another meal. A mother who never missed a moment, who always took the time to laugh, to acknowledge, and to love. A mother who would always meet their gaze and would forever understand their hearts.  A mother whose arms would always be open and strong enough to carry whoever needed to be in them.  A mother who stayed up late and rose early in the morning all in preparation to serve her family. That’s what I would want people to remember about me.

I would want to be remembered as a loving wife whose face would light up when she saw her husband, who loved him fiercely as well, and who served him through word and deed.  I would want him to know I believed in him, that I would stand beside him no matter what.  I would want him to know how important he was to me, to us, and how much I admired his strength, determination, and devotion to his family.  I would want to be remembered as a wife who put everything she had into a marriage that gave her everything she ever wanted.  That’s what I would want people to remember about me.

Opportunities to say goodbye serve as powerful reminders on how to live. I’m grateful today for George H.W. Bush’s legacy and that it touched one more life: mine.  Because of his life, I will live mine a little bit better.

May your legacy, whatever it may be, live on as well.

Find the joy~

Jessica