Many times we think that it is what we HAVE to give people is how we create our LONGEVITY – the physical objects from our lives that have meaning to us, and when we pass them down we create a solid memento that we were here. And I have looked for and hold dearly some of the things my Mom and Dad had, be it Grandpa’s old sewing chest, my Mom’s first black pen drawing of two bunnies in a basket, or the incredible book collection my Dad had of what seemed to be every book ever written on World War 2 or the Civil War.
But one of the most amazing things that we pass down to family, and even to friends, is our mannerisms, habits, and sayings. From the quirky way you move your head when asked a tough question, to the verbal response you may have NO ONE on earth says, or just the way to sing those same stupid lines from the one stupid song and every time I hear that song – I think of you. And then the recipes that come from a few branches up the family tree and have landed on your kitchen table.
THOSE. THOSE are the things we pass down. Those are the things that your family and friends will remember the most about you. And more importantly, how it made them feel to be around you.
One of the sayings I have is “It Aint Rocket Surgery”. When people hear it the first time they will lean their head into the person next to them and say “Did he just say ROCKET SURGERY?”, to which the person who HAS heard me previously will without a blink of the eye and while still looking straight ahead will say “yeah, it is a combination of Rocket Science and Brain Surgery, but even tougher cause it is ROCKET SURGERY” in a very ‘well you should have known that by the words’ condescending tone.
Some day. Some time. TAKE the time to write down those words, phrases, or actions your loved ones have done and keep them in a sacred place. Yes, It’s the little things. But they mean so much.
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