I have been working on a new draft of my Last Will, so death is on my mind. 😁 My first Will 25 years ago, left everything to my wife, When she died almost 4 years go, I wrote a new one which was filled with with conditions of what the money was to be used for. The will I am writing now is much simplified without most of the conditions, and to one new addition.
Since the previous will, I have chosen an existing foundation to provide my nursing scholarships, so that major task has been taken care of. I am proud to say that 95% of my estate will go to 501 (c)(e) organizations. That is legacy enough for me.
On the action side of legacy, teaching others how to cope with deafness and autism, and other adversities, and volunteering for more than a decade at a soup kitchen fills that out.
A popular thing in my RetCom is to write an autobiography. Those who do that want to assure a legacy at least through their children, grand-children and maybe but not likely beyond that generation. I guess that is a noble thing to do but since I leave no heirs, I doubt very much if anyone would care to read an entire book about my life. It was full of challenges and adversity, but besides that, it has been mostly boring.
Finally, we come to the quote below by Ernest Hemingway that conjured up all these thoughts.
“Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways men can be immortal.”—Ernest Hemingway
The last one is directly related to legacy.
I am a dreamer, but I am even more so a realist, so I know that I am just a grain of sand in the total humanity of life, so I will be forgotten in the sands of time. And, that’s OK… I believe I did my part in trying to make the world a better place. That’s more than enough legacy for me.
RJ's Corner 
I have a number of men and women in my line who had no children. My grandfather collected so many of their letters to their mothers. I don’t know why. Now many of their “prayer cards” are in my Bible. I think of them as I glide through pages. Yes, grains of sand, but part of my DNA.
I was also one who always read about the person scholarships were given to my students.
Don’t be too fast in dismissing your legacy. Especially if you write about your deafness- you never know who you will touch in the future.
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Thanks for reminding me, Janette. My greatest hope is that people who come to RJsCorner get a few lessons in life from my experiences and talents. I have had my share of adversity, but I truly believe they have made me stronger, and in the end maybe even happier.
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