Legacy. It seems like one of those buzzwords that people latch on to for a short time to make themselves sound important. "I want to leave a legacy." "What will your legacy be?" And most of the time, it's used by people trying to sell you something. "Your legacy should be health, so use this fitness product." "Don't you want to leave a strong financial legacy? Then use this investment company." 
All in all, society seems to take great words that have a rich history and shave off about 3/4 of the breadth and depth so that the words lose most of the meaning and can fit into some cheap commercialized tidbit that's easy to swallow without giving you too much to digest. 

I've been thinking a lot about legacy lately because we just lost the patriarch of my husband's family. Grandpa passed away in August, but all four of his sons and their families met in Colorado last week to spend some time celebrating his life and saying goodbye for now to a great man. He left a legacy. He and his wife raised a family of hard working honest, honorable men who married amazing women. This is a family that is not afraid to follow their convictions and to work diligently to accomplish goals. This is a group of people who recognize that family is more than the people you who swim in the same gene pool. They genuinely love one another, and enjoy each other's company. In a world where a death in the family can lead to bitter fights and disassociation because of material items, this family is unique. That is the legacy that Grandma and Grandpa left. 

I know no one is perfect. We all make mistakes when we raise our kids. I know that they'll have memories of the messy house, and unfinished laundry but hopefully they'll also remember the love that we showed even when we were frustrated. I pray that my kids know that there are some things in life that are more important than anything else. I pray that my kids know that their Faith is the foundation, their family is more important than any thing, that people are important and getting to know them and treat others well is always a worthy goal, and that their dreams are always worth the risk and the work that it takes to follow them. I hope that is the legacy I leave with them.