I thnk the hope is to leave something behind. Isn't that what we all want? We know that we all will go one day, it's inevitable, but we want to leave something of ourselves behind. It isn't money or material things that last though, its' memories. Memories that become stories, that turn into tales, that become legend. From legend springs a legacy. Interesting how the words connect. Interesting too is that the word legacy is defined as property or money left to someone in a will. Well, that's one way of defining it anyway. In modern times that isn't how we think of a legacy however, we tend to think of a legacy as more of an ethereal thing. It is similar to inheritance and heritage. We inherit money and property as a part of our heritage, yet, we don't think of heritage as either of those things. It can be confusing at times.
I woke up thinking about these things. I suppose in response to yesterdays posting. I have received a ladys' pendant watch. My sister had been the caretaker of that for a number of years. She received it as part of an inheritance. Although the origins of the watch are clouded in mystery to a degree, it is something left behind. I can't place the object with a particular person but nevertheless it connects me to my heritage. It serves as a reminder, not of my sister, but of that heritage. I think it is the responsibilty of each of us to preserve a portion of our inheritance, our heritage, for future generations. We should tell the stories as best as we remember. It's true that objects may make it easier, but we need to remember it is not the objects we want remembered. That is a distinction often lost. The objects are just the vehicle, not the destination.
Material things can aid in the telling of the story no doubt about that. They are visual aids. That's what they were called when I was in school, show and tell. I guess the kids still do that these days although I think it would be a far more risky proposition. I recall bringing a captured Nazi flag to school and that didn't go over well, even in the 1960's, today I'm afraid counselors would have to be summoned! That flag was brought back from Germany as a war prize, nothing more. A small part of the story. Heritage or inheritance? Both I would say. The importance lies in the telling of the tale not in the object itself. But then visual representations are the proof aren't they? Isn't that what we perceive? Like a doubting Thomas, we want to see proof.
But I'm thinking now that it isn't what we leave behind that matters, rather, it is what remains. Seems like the same thing when you first consider that sentence. What is the difference? The difference is your presence. Our bodies will leave this earth but our presence doesn't have to. It remains as long as memory allows it too. Can we imprint our presence into an object? No, I don't think we can. Our presence must be placed there by someone else. And that is the very reason some objects are treasured while others get lost.
As the generations pass our presence becomes harder to detect. Those visual aids help in that regard. I have a postcard written by my grandmother and when I read it, held it in my hand, I felt a connection. Now, this grandmother, my fathers mom, passed away three days after his birth. Yet, I felt her presence. Something left behind? Something left for me to discover? No, I think it is just something that remains. Something I am attuned too.
And so the question for me is, can we decide what remains? No, I don't believe we have control over that. What remains will be what was accepted. It is the things we offer during our life that others get to choose from. For that reason we should exercise discretion in what is offered. Do not present things you wouldn't want others to keep. We can draw up legal documents to disperse our wordily goods, but there are no documents for a legacy. We can't dictate what others remember. We don't decide what remains. Our objects may remain, for generations, and yet our presence absent without the story. So offer yourself, if that is what you wish to remain. That's my advice.
I woke up thinking about these things. I suppose in response to yesterdays posting. I have received a ladys' pendant watch. My sister had been the caretaker of that for a number of years. She received it as part of an inheritance. Although the origins of the watch are clouded in mystery to a degree, it is something left behind. I can't place the object with a particular person but nevertheless it connects me to my heritage. It serves as a reminder, not of my sister, but of that heritage. I think it is the responsibilty of each of us to preserve a portion of our inheritance, our heritage, for future generations. We should tell the stories as best as we remember. It's true that objects may make it easier, but we need to remember it is not the objects we want remembered. That is a distinction often lost. The objects are just the vehicle, not the destination.
Material things can aid in the telling of the story no doubt about that. They are visual aids. That's what they were called when I was in school, show and tell. I guess the kids still do that these days although I think it would be a far more risky proposition. I recall bringing a captured Nazi flag to school and that didn't go over well, even in the 1960's, today I'm afraid counselors would have to be summoned! That flag was brought back from Germany as a war prize, nothing more. A small part of the story. Heritage or inheritance? Both I would say. The importance lies in the telling of the tale not in the object itself. But then visual representations are the proof aren't they? Isn't that what we perceive? Like a doubting Thomas, we want to see proof.
But I'm thinking now that it isn't what we leave behind that matters, rather, it is what remains. Seems like the same thing when you first consider that sentence. What is the difference? The difference is your presence. Our bodies will leave this earth but our presence doesn't have to. It remains as long as memory allows it too. Can we imprint our presence into an object? No, I don't think we can. Our presence must be placed there by someone else. And that is the very reason some objects are treasured while others get lost.
As the generations pass our presence becomes harder to detect. Those visual aids help in that regard. I have a postcard written by my grandmother and when I read it, held it in my hand, I felt a connection. Now, this grandmother, my fathers mom, passed away three days after his birth. Yet, I felt her presence. Something left behind? Something left for me to discover? No, I think it is just something that remains. Something I am attuned too.
And so the question for me is, can we decide what remains? No, I don't believe we have control over that. What remains will be what was accepted. It is the things we offer during our life that others get to choose from. For that reason we should exercise discretion in what is offered. Do not present things you wouldn't want others to keep. We can draw up legal documents to disperse our wordily goods, but there are no documents for a legacy. We can't dictate what others remember. We don't decide what remains. Our objects may remain, for generations, and yet our presence absent without the story. So offer yourself, if that is what you wish to remain. That's my advice.
No comments:
Post a Comment