Thursday, February 19, 2015

Legacy

My brother was dedicated to animals.  He was on the board of a particular animal sanctuary.  After he passed away, people donating money in his honor funded a new animal lodging space at this sanctuary.  It is a fitting legacy for him.

But what about me? What is my cause?  What mark do I want to leave on the world?  While my brothers passion was animals, mine is humans.
  • I want to take care of my family.  If I had loads of money, I would set up funds so that my parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews would have lifetime incomes.  I want my parents to be able to live in the homes of their choice for the rest of their lives, and to have any  help they need when they get too old to take care of themselves.  I want my nieces and nephews to be able to go to the colleges of their choice and pursue the careers of their choice.  My siblings are already well on their way with education and careers, but I want them to always be able to live out their dreams, and to take care of themselves and their families.
  • I want to preserve and pass on the stories of the past.  The lives of those who have gone before us are lost to us, except for the parts that are written down.  I have collected what I can of photos and stories from my relatives.  I want to compile all that I have into a family history book, to be passed on through the future generations.
  • I want to do something about the world.  There is so much ignorance out there.  There are things that are known about how to inspire humans to treat each other with respect and kindness and respect rather than with violence and cruelty, but this knowledge does not seem to be widespread.  People have simplistic notions that you can get people to do what you want by threatening them.  People have prejudices against various religions and cultures.  People don't understand the importance of sustainable living.  I want to spread the knowledge of how to live in harmony with humans and the earth.  
These are my grand ambitions.  But I am too tired to wash the dishes, let alone save the world.

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