500 Words a Week - What Legacy Really Means?

Legacy is a word I’ve been hearing a lot recently, in podcasts, conversations, and books.

Usually, it’s framed in the context of grand achievements. Winning moments, titles earned, companies built. We’re told to think about the legacy we want to leave behind and to start building it now.

We often assume legacy is about being remembered for doing something remarkable.

But perhaps it’s more about how we’re remembered, not for what we did, but how we made people feel.

My understanding of legacy stems from my Granddad.

My Granddad is 82. He’s been married 61 years. He has 6 children, and 20 grandchildren.

He attends everything. Birthdays, communions, confirmations, graduations, sporting games, and random races in the quiet areas of Mayo.

Two of his grandchildren and one of his daughters live in Australia with her husband, he facetimes them nearly everyday.

Every Christmas all the grandchildren get a selection box and Eason’s voucher (a bookshop for those reading outside of Ireland). Every Easter we all get an Easter egg. Even the partners of the grandchildren now get a selection box at Christmas.

About a year ago when I told him that I’m going to try my own thing for a while. He told me about the peaks and troughs. The good times and low times in any journey. Can you weather the low times to ensure you’re around for the good times?

When I think of legacy, I think of my Granddad. I think of the loving presence he provides to each of his grandchildren. I think of how he looks after my wonderful Granny. I think of how happy he is when sitting surrounded by those special to him. Preferably with a pint of plain, but just as content with a cup of tea.

When we look at one of the many definitions of legacy, one that comes up is:

“A tangible or intangible thing handed down by a predecessor.”

When it comes to legacy we focus on the tangible, forgetting all the wonderful intangible aspects of value passed down. Sometimes these aren’t directly spoken, but passed down through actions or a way of being.

It mirrors so many of the other aspects of life, when we can become guilty of focusing on the tangible and lose sight of the intangible. The things we can’t put a value on, that can’t be measured and managed.

My Granddad’s shown me this lesson, which might have taken a few years with many trial and errors to learn by myself.

My Granddad’s shown me that legacy isn’t built in moments of applause, it’s built in the ways we show up for each other. And I’m lucky to have had strong examples of love and presence from all my grandparents.

Because in the end, it’s not the accolades people talk about. It’s the people who were there for them.