Legacy is about learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future. When it comes to raising my kids, building a legacy is key. My daughter has always been interested in learning about her heritage – a trait she inherited from me.
I’ve received many gifts – jewelry, clothing, money, you name it. I appreciate them all, however big or small. But my most treasured gift was a binder filled with my husband’s family photos that I got from my Mother-in-law. Just days before we tied the knot, she presented me pictures dating back to the 1800’s.
I felt like I won the lottery! Aside from a couple of photos of my maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother, I don’t own many photos of my forefathers. That along with the fact that I don’t own baby photos of myself, has triggered a desire to learn as much as possible about our multicultural heritage and pass it along to our children.
I’ve written about Princess being obsessed with her deceased grandfather as a tot. Fast forward two years later, and she still is obsessed with him. She’s always asks where her granddad is and why can’t she meet him. Just the other day, she burst into tears about wanting to see him. It’s kind of scary in a way. You often hear about these strange premonitions and I worry about something bad happening.
However, I refused to focus on the negative, and instead pay more attention to building a legacy. Through conversation, photos, and video, I want to teach my kids about their heritage.
I’ve always believed that in order to get to where your going, you have to know where you’re coming from. That’s the lesson I want my kids to learn.
Do your kids show interest in wanting to know about their ancestors? How do you build a legacy?
I totally love this– I so need to take some time to document my family history! I think this is great! I’m also thinking about doing an interview with my family members! Love this!
You totally should, especially with your multicultural background. My husband is also part German and I’m looking forward to researching more about that side of his heritage too. Your kids will thank you for it.