What will your legacy be? A moment of reflection....

I hope everyone had a good day yesterday celebrating their mothers (and being celebrated, if applicable.)  Our weekend was bittersweet.  On Saturday, we had the memorial service for my late Grandma, my mom's mom. (If this sound like deja vu, yes, my dad's mom passed just about a month earlier.)

My grandma, while petite in stature (she was barely 5 ft.), was big in life and love.  During the memorial service, attendees were given the opportunity to share their memories or feelings, and quickly hands went up and nearly every single person commented on how she made them feel special and loved, even upon her first encounter with them.

I always knew my grandma was a loving person, but having her in my life from the beginning, I knew nothing different of her and probably took it for granted.  It was just how she was, the whole package of grandma, and not something that stood out specifically to me growing up.  But to have it named specifically by all these people from various time and places in her life really awed me and made me so proud to be related to such a great person.

I made a comment that it was amazing that 87+ years of life were able to be condensed onto 2 sides of one sheet of paper, for the service bulletin insert.  And it made me think: what are the key things people will remember about my story when my time comes?  My grandma's story started in Iowa, where she was born, and then to California, where she met my grandpa shortly after WWII, then back to Michigan then back to San Diego where they settled for good.  She had various jobs and 3 kids, and was able to travel a lot of the world with my grandpa in their retired years.  Everyone in the service (and her life) had shared different aspects and moments of her life with her, but what everyone shared was their acknowledgement and appreciation of the loving person she was.

Grandma and Grandpa's wedding photo. Don't they look like movie stars?
 

Not to be a downer, but we never know how much time we have been given.  My grandma was lucky and had a very full life, and we are all the thankful beneficiaries of that.  But even the youngest and healthiest of us can be surprised with our last day sooner than expected.  It wasn't just at the end that Grandma lived lovingly, she was always that way, and no matter when she had left us, I'm pretty confident the sentiments shared would have always been the same.  Some people leave a legacy reflected in material wealth, or professional achievements.  Grandma's legacy is love, and while she set the bar high, I aspire to live as my grandma showed us all how.

My Little Dude meeting his great-grandparents for the first time, a year and a half ago.