Will You Be Remembered In 100 Years

This last week I was listening to a conversation and the words that caught me were, "In 100 years we will all be dead and no one will remember us anyway" It stopped me. My first response was yes they will remember, whoever they are, because Kyle and I have conversations all the time about our great great grandparents. I was then reminded that we are the exception, that doesn't normally happen. It stirred all kinds of emotions in me.

So, here is a selfish moment. The picture above was taken in August of 1969 - 56 years ago. We took a family trip to the Grand Canyon, I was 8, Kyle was 5 and mom was 33. I remember the walk up to this lookout like it was yesterday. Mom was afraid of heights and she just about crushed my hand as we climbed because she was holding on so tight. If you look close you can see that her back hand is on the railing and she was keeping an arm's length between it and her. Of course we were running around like it was no big deal and probably caused her so much stress. I love looking at the clothes, Kyle has holes in his knees - perfect boy thing, mom and I were decked out in colorful patterns and look at her sunglasses! What an adventure.

Now I am determined that I need to be better at saving and sharing these kinds of memories so those generations 3 or 4 down the way won't forget us, a resource that they can turn to if they are interested in knowing about us. I want to make sure there are glimpses into the farm, the corn truck, the egg hunts, adventures, challenges, weather, hobbies, all the stuff.

Maybe it is age and experience that causes you to want to reach back and learn from those you love. It could be a longing to have a conversation when only a journal will provide it. You may want to glean advice through another's life story. Sometimes you may have a question and a memory could be the answer. Whatever the reason, I want to leave the opportunity for those who may ask.....

I have ideas on how to accomplish this and I'm going to start to share them more. I would also love to hear your thoughts.

You never know who will reach for your words and the difference they may make, it may even be YOU!