A legacy is something that is left behind when you die. Whether it be money, personal property or something handed on for future generations. Your legacy is what is left behind for generations to come. How do you want to be remembered by your loved ones?
Money, status, wealth, it all means nothing if you treat those around you poorly. People will not remember the sculpture in your hallway, nor will they remember the pattern on your curtains or the brand of shoes you wore.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou
They will however remember how you treated them. Being treated poorly leaves a sour taste in their mouths. Your brain holds on to negative emotions more than positive ones and for some they will remember a negative experience for the rest of their lives.
Leaving a positive lasting relationship legacy can start now. It is the small things that make a difference. The way you speak to each other in front of others especially the children, the way you enter and exit a room. The way you wake up in the morning and the way you go to bed at night.
Think about how you would want to be remembered. We all have outside influences that we cannot control but we can control our own environment. We control our relationships and influence those around us. We can choose to lead good examples for our children to follow and we can choose to stay positive in a world full of negatives.
I was born into a small family. My grandparents had 3 children, my mother was the eldest. With only 10 grandchildren you would think we were a close family but we are not. In fact we hardly speak to one another and one of the grandchildren (my cousin) is also my god daughter whom I haven’t seen in 2 years.
The legacy my grandmother left our generation was one of bitterness and division. Her children suffered through the divide and that flowed down to the grandchildren carrying it on. What they don’t realise is that they are only causing more hurt and pain by continuing it.
Family gatherings don’t exist and holidays are spent apart. In all of this dysfunction the one thing that is common among the extended and immediate family is the bond between couples. We have a very small divorce rate in our family. In fact, I can only think of one couple that divorced and they were my maternal grandparents.
What I see are couples who made a commitment to one another and have honoured that commitment. They have weathered the years of raising young children while supporting each other and holding down jobs. They have remained faithful to one another and they are very much in love now as they were when they met.
This kind of love should be bottled and sold worldwide.
I want my legacy to be one of love and support. While I don’t have the support of my immediate and extended family, I do have the love and support of my husband. What do you want your relationship legacy to be?
Tell us about a relationship legacy within your family by commenting below.
