To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Monday, April 25, 2005
Leaving a Legacy
Saturday morning, I kind of felt sorry for Father York. He had never met my grandmother- she was unable to go to mass on her own by the time he moved to St. John's, and my aunt would take her to mass at my aunt's church instead. So, Father York had to give a eulogy about a person he didn't know. I'm sure they have classes at seminary on stuff like this- probably doesn't make it any easier.
But he did a good job. He started by talking about Pope John Paul II and all of the recent talk about his legacy. Then he talked about the writers of the three Scripture passages he read from and their legacies. And then he talked about Grandma.
No, she wasn't a pontiff who helped change the world scene. She wasn't a writer of scripture. But she did have two things in common with those four men- she was a person of faith, and she left a legacy.
Her legacy was sitting in that church Saturday morning. Her legacy is her family, and all the other people she touched and blessed with her life. Her legacy is reflected in the eyes of all those who love her.
If you read Grandma's obituary, you get a pale glimpse of who she was (no offense to my aunt- she did a pretty good job writing it- obits just aren't the place for the real stories of someone's life). There were eight children in her family. She worked at several restaurants during her life. She volunteered at the local grade school. She was active in the women's organization at her church for a while. She had three daughters, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She was loved.
Does that tell you anything about her legacy? Not really. It doesn't tell you that she was a good cook (my potato soup and chicken soup recipes are based on her recipes, even if I have tweaked them a bit). It doesn't tell you that she and my grandpa had a huge garden, and she loved to can the extras. It doesn't tell you that she had a great sense of humor. It doesn't tell you that she did a great job raising her kids. And it doesn't tell you that when one of her daughters needed a kidney transplant, she gave her one of her kidneys (and it's still going strong almost 30 years later).
When all is said and done, all that will be left of any of us (on this Earth, that is) is a couple of paragraphs on the obit page... and our legacy. Grandma did good. I can only hope the same can be said for all of us.
I have some new plans for this summer... I'm going to try to figure out how to make my own dill pickles. And ketchup. Hmm... wonder if I should try growing the tomatoes and cucumbers myself, too...
But he did a good job. He started by talking about Pope John Paul II and all of the recent talk about his legacy. Then he talked about the writers of the three Scripture passages he read from and their legacies. And then he talked about Grandma.
No, she wasn't a pontiff who helped change the world scene. She wasn't a writer of scripture. But she did have two things in common with those four men- she was a person of faith, and she left a legacy.
Her legacy was sitting in that church Saturday morning. Her legacy is her family, and all the other people she touched and blessed with her life. Her legacy is reflected in the eyes of all those who love her.
If you read Grandma's obituary, you get a pale glimpse of who she was (no offense to my aunt- she did a pretty good job writing it- obits just aren't the place for the real stories of someone's life). There were eight children in her family. She worked at several restaurants during her life. She volunteered at the local grade school. She was active in the women's organization at her church for a while. She had three daughters, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She was loved.
Does that tell you anything about her legacy? Not really. It doesn't tell you that she was a good cook (my potato soup and chicken soup recipes are based on her recipes, even if I have tweaked them a bit). It doesn't tell you that she and my grandpa had a huge garden, and she loved to can the extras. It doesn't tell you that she had a great sense of humor. It doesn't tell you that she did a great job raising her kids. And it doesn't tell you that when one of her daughters needed a kidney transplant, she gave her one of her kidneys (and it's still going strong almost 30 years later).
When all is said and done, all that will be left of any of us (on this Earth, that is) is a couple of paragraphs on the obit page... and our legacy. Grandma did good. I can only hope the same can be said for all of us.
I have some new plans for this summer... I'm going to try to figure out how to make my own dill pickles. And ketchup. Hmm... wonder if I should try growing the tomatoes and cucumbers myself, too...
