Last year when we took an old washer and dryer set out, I found a needle nose pair of vice grips behind them. Well, this was a coup for me since I didn't have a pair of those, so of course that's where my mind went first, but after that, I began thinking about things that just get lost along the way. If you watch any of the shows about antiques/old stuff today: “American Pickers,” “Pawn Stars,” “American Restoration.” etc., you can't help but be blown away by the prices some of these older items fetch. I remember someone talking about taking something worthless and burying it in the desert for 10,000 years. At that point it would be priceless.
But all of that is just stuff. And those of you who know me understand that I believe while stuff makes our lives comfortable, it really is unimportant in the overall scheme of life. I had the good fortune in the middle of my life to have many of my “worldly” possessions taken from me. It was at that point, I truly discovered that the important things are people who around us, and the activities we share together.
When we were on vacation, we had the opportunity to celebrate three different times with my sister, in groups of ever increasing size, leading up to the last celebration with fifty-seven people. These people from all walks of life have one thing in common - my sister. It was a joy to watch. It was amazing how many times that evening I heard people tell me they looked forward to meeting me since they had only known me through my sister’s stories. That really made me smile.
The other day, I also ran across a quote of my sister’s from her senior year. It resonated with me as I was thinking about all of this. She said, “You have to be ready at a moment’s notice, to abandon everything you are and everything you have in order to become what you truly can be.” These probably aren't her exact words, but I bet you all get the idea. All of this came together for me and made me think about what I have done to bring me to this point in my life. Once again it challenged me as I wondered if I am in the right place. That is something that I will keep working on.
So, I find myself asking what it is I will leave behind in people's memories. First of all, I have two great kids who are beginning to build wonderful lives for themselves. This is without a doubt my biggest legacy. And then, of course, I will leave a ‘bitchin’ shop. But that is something that will probably get slowly taken apart as friends and family need items or there is a sale. Mostly though, I expect it will be the same thing we all have from those who went before us. There will be a certain amount of things which will survive for some time. I still have a very nice set of screwdrivers that were my father’s, but those things get used up or lost with time. The things that you never forget are the memories - the moments that were just right. There was a day with my son that we didn't really have anything special to do, but we were together all day long and we both still remember the day with fondness.
Even though my tendency is to want to get home at the end of the day and then stay there, I will continue to push myself to be around people, to have fun and make memories. And even more specifically, I will continue to do this with my family, especially as it continues to grow. We will laugh, have fun, and make memories. That way, all of the things left behind will be fond memories and thoughts, and not just an old pair of needle nose pliers behind the washer and dryer.
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