Legacy

A few days ago I was watching a show on the History Channel about the last days of the Third Reich and HItler. In those last days of Hitler's life, he wasn't worried about the destruction of Berlin by the Russians. Hitler wasn't concerned about the loss of life by his soldiers or fellow countrymen. He told his generals to leave Berlin if they wanted to leave. The purpose was not to save their life but for his own legacy. He wanted to be viewed as standing alone at the end, as the brave and noble captain going down with his ship. He was trying to script his legacy.

For Hitler, he spent his life trying to gain power, trying to splinter a nation against the Jews, trying to eliminate anyone different than him, conquering the world. Acts of cruelty and brutality were the norm. His despicable life was his legacy not the scripted end of his life.

A few weeks ago I wrote about my father and described his last days. Today I'd like to share his legacy. My Dad was an average man of the time who thought that working long hours made him a good provider. When I look back on my early years I wish that he had been more involved in my life. As I got older my Dad became better at expressing love in a very practical way. My brother got into trouble all the time and repeatedly my Dad would come to his rescue. It didn't matter what Bruce had done, Dad was there and 100% on his side.

Our family had a serious car accident in which me and my mom went through the windsheild of our old Chrysler. We were in bad shape, especially my Mom. My Dad had a nasty gash on his arm that required 20 or 30 stitches but he refused care until me and Mom were attended to. That my friend is love beyond measure. In essence he was saying forget about me, take care of them, they are the important ones.

When I got older I did things that he didn't approve of and guess what? That man ALWAYS loved me without any conditions. My actions were irrelevant to his love. He was a big, hairy, gruff man with a heart. A man's man who knew how to love.

Whenever you start thinking about your last days on earth, don't. Think about today. Do you want to leave a legacy? Show love regardless of the situation. It will make an impact on your family and the people around you.

Ron