Here's something I have been mulling over since Andy and I discussed it while driving in Ireland. This post isn't really related to our trip... just some random musings. Anyways, we were talking about heritage... specifically about our Grandparents and how legacy can be passed.
When someone passes away, what's remembered and cherished is their character. Sure, their position at work, ways they volunteered their time, trips they went on or words they said will be recalled from time to time. But what will really be remembered, by those who knew him or her, is who they were. The definition of character includes main or essential nature, reputation, personality, sum of unique traits, etc. It's the indescribable or seemingly unnoticed things... their behaviours in a social setting, their response to positive or negative situations, their body language with different individuals, their consistent behaviors/habits/isms, their presence, their eyes, and beneath it all, their heart. These are all pieces that make up a person's character... and ultimately, their legacy.
Then I got to thinking... without actually knowing the person face to face, it's difficult to know and appreciate their character. Because my Grandpa Beacham passed away almost five years ago, I am wondering, how will I pass his legacy to my children? They won't be able to know him personally and piece together his character. Then I remembered the one story of Andy's Great Grandma Nielsen we heard two years ago at a family reunion in Calgary. It is a story neither of us will ever forget because to us, it's a piece of her character and of our heritage.
Andy's Grandpa, Thorvald Nielsen, grew up on a farm with his brother and parents, who worked hard making ends meet. One year, the two boys had been playing and accidentally left the door to the straw open. Their only two horses, critical during harvest ploughing, got into the straw and died from eating it. When Thorvald told this story he began crying as he recalled his mother sitting at their dining room table, taking in the news and telling the boys, "The Lord will provide.".
Point is, I believe our ancestors character and legacy can be passed from generation to generation via story. Haha, this is no revolutionary thinking, people have been doing this for centuries, but I appreciate it differently now. Andy and I want to be really intentional about sharing stories about our Grandparents and heritage with our future children, Lord willing. Our Bible devo today included Proverbs 10:7, "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot."
Oh and another, maybe silly, application of this is that Andy and I have decided to each learn a recipe from each of our sets of Grandparents (I.e. Bayer - German spatzle, Carr - apple pie, etc.). It's another tangible way our family heritage can be passed... that should explain the blog post title. :D
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