All of us are here for such a short time. We want to be shooting stars when mostly what we really are is dandelions. All we're really good for is a little "whine."
As we live out day after day, we ponder, if we take the time, our legacy. What will we leave behind when we go?
Some may think their children are their legacy. But that fails to consider that the children are trying to make their own way in this world and are worried about their legacy. They haven't time to be ours. Besides, do you think of the parents of the people you know whenever you see them? No, you think about whether you like that person or not and whether or not you want to spend any time in their presence. You may think kindly of them, or not, but the odds are neither you nor anyone else they know thanks God, or curses God for their parents.
Some may consider their work to be a lasting legacy. But unless you are today's Rembrandt or Hemingway or Beethoven, or have your name permanently carved into the stone of a monument or building, what you do today will not last. The things you create, the work you do, the labors of your day will fade away faster than fog on a sunny day. Does anyone remember what you did last week, last month? How can you expect them to remember decades after you're gone?
I know you're thinking: He's going to tell us that loving people is our only true legacy.
Nope, I'm not.
Loving people is worthwhile, don't get me wrong, but those relationships, no matter how long or short, will not last a lifetime, let alone beyond. Out of sight, out of mind and heart. Once you're not around them every day, those same people will forget you and move on to other people because, after all, there's an entire world out there begging to be loved. It shouldn't be too hard to find someone else willing to give it a try, even if it isn't quite real love, just a substitute.
The odds are, none of us will leave a legacy of any kind, large or small. We're all just waves, crashing onto the shore of life and dissipating, disappearing as quickly as we arrive, rapidly replaced by yet another wave coming right behind us. Over time, if enough of us crash onto the same spot, something may get changed by erosion, but that is about it. And we will have played a very tiny part in it.
So don't live your life worried about what your legacy will be, because the chances are you won't be leaving one. Live your life today as if today is all you have and don't worry about tomorrow, let alone the years after you're dead. You won't matter then. You matter right now. So make something oof right now for yourself, because you're the only one who notices anyway.
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