What Does It Mean To Leave A Legacy?
IN THE JULY 2021 ISSUE OF SISTAH’S PLACE MAGAZINE, I DISCUSS AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED BUT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DEFINITION OF LEGACY.
SISTAH’S PLACE MAGAZINE CELEBRATES WOMEN HAVING AN IMPACT THROUGH ENTERTAINMENT, INSPIRATION, AND EMPOWERMENT. GET YOUR COPY HERE.
It is not unusual to hear someone say, they want to leave a legacy. Not surprisingly the word legacy has several different definitions. My clients each have their own unique definition as well. For some, they say they want the people close to them to know that they were loved. Some say they want to leave money or property to a chosen few. And some say they want to be remembered for a contribution or act of service. I have heard countless more definitions, however, the one type of legacy that is often overlooked is the legacy that is created at the end of your life by the events around, leading up to, and immediately after your death. These final moments create lasting memories which will result in a legacy.
If you have taken the advice given in the past wealth and legacy articles and created an estate plan these memories will not be filled with gut-wrenching health care decisions because you have already decided on your care plan. These memories will not be filled with arguments and disputes over property because you have already decided how your property will be managed and then distributed upon your death. These memories will not be filled with disagreements about who is in charge because you have already decided on the person or persons in charge of managing your estate. Because you have taken the time to plan you have created an environment in which the focus can be on supporting and loving each other, therefore leaving a legacy of peace and order.
I recently had the privilege of receiving this type of legacy. Before my grandmother died at the young age of 96, she made decisions about her health care, about her property, about who should be in charge as her abilities began to fail, about who should be in charge of her estate at her death, and she even made decisions about her homegoing service. Consequently, as her health began to decline the family’s only concern was loving her to the end and supporting each other. As much as we all hated to say goodbye to her, our final memories are filled with a time of love, peace, and order. I truly believe that when people say they want to leave a legacy this is the ultimate definition.