Legacy

Last weekend I went away to my friend Lindsay's cabin near Ligonier. Lindsay's family built this cabin themselves, and she showed us a photo album that shows the construction, bit by bit, weekend by weekend. It's a fairly simple, but spacious structure, obviously meant for weekends away, obviously meant to house as many people as possible. It's the kind of place you feel immediately at peace at, not just because it was beautiful and quiet, but because the love of her family is imprinted there and seeps out of the walls, surrounding you as soon as you step inside. People care about that place, probably because it serves to bring loved ones together. Now that's a legacy.

It got me to thinking about legacy. What are the actions that M and I are taking now, that Laurel will one day consider her legacy? It really made me think deeply about what it means to be a role model, living your ideals through the ups and downs of daily life. What am I modeling in the checkout line at the Dunkin Donuts when it's taking forever and I have a pounding headache and a squirmy toddler who seems hell bent on "organizing" the bags of coffee beans in the display?

By the way, I bought exactly two blueberry cake Munchkin holes at the exhorbitant price of $.50 each, and presented them to Laurel while I drank my coffee. She opened the bag, handed one to me and said "tatoo" - which I think means thank you, which she uses universally to mean "please", "thank you" and "you're welcome". Then she leaned in and gave me a hug before carefully eating the other one. (Go ahead and say "awwwwww" over her cuteness.)

What legacy are you leaving?