The Importance of How We Live

This happens to be one of those mornings when I wake up with my brain in full gear thinking about life, about what its all about and about what really counts.
I think a lot about legacies. What we leave behind. Not that I am planning on checking out any time soon, mind you. But in the big scheme of things, its really about what we are, what kind of person we are.
I am blessed and that word "blessed" is not used casually, to have had an amazing mother. Her rich legacy is felt to this day, 20 years after her passing.
To be honest, she was not an fantastic housekeeper, and she was a wonderful cook but it was not her passion. She was however a really good person, with time for everyone. The front door of our house, open to all. Meals offered to anyone that came by. Her knack for stretching a meal to accommodate unplanned dinner guest was unbelievable.
My mother was a genius, really. Her IQ off the charts. She was full of lively discussion, well read, articulate and best of all, warm. When she passed away, hundreds of people stood in the frigid New England winter cold waiting to get in the funeral home. Her warmth remembered and admired.

You are looking at pictures of great great uncles of mine. Captain John "Sandy" Alexander Hines and Charles Nelson Hines. My great grandmothers brothers.
One a ship builder, he is holding a scale model of a ship he built, and his brother a Sea Captain. Men who accomplished great things. Sailing from the shores of Nova Scotia, experiencing storms and fair weather. They are remembered for their accomplishments but most of all for their fairness and for being GOOD. They had fine houses, they had fine things, but that is not what people think about when talk of their lives comes up.
Its about their goodness and how they were as men. No one remembers if they dressed well or had polished shoes, no one talks about their homes.
When all is said and done for a person, the externals mean nothing unless perhaps they were not really good people. Then that's what is left to talk about and that's really shallow when you think about it.
Think about your life this holiday season, think about your deeds, who you really are. What kind of legacy are you building ? Maybe even think about how you are during this busy season.
What do you want people to remember about your life, that you cook good, that you sew well, that you dressed like a model, that you spent huge amounts of time working for things ? Or do you want to be remembered for your warmth and kindness ? Your unselfish acts ? We are talking about the main aspect of your life, not your interests, but the WHO you really are and how you treat others.
Now the good part.....you are known now, while you are here on this earth for who you are. What you are. Your legacy being born, and the who you are is evident in your actions, your words, and shared with your families and friends.
Are you happy and full of peace ? Does it show in the way you live ? Do you extend yourself beyond your family to show compassion ? Is your life about people or things. Is it all about you, your clothes, your house, your car, your job, or is it about others ?
Hey, believe me, my old self has lots of work to do here. My legacy is important to me and I get off track more than I care to. This post is for me, my reminder. You just get to read it too.
For me, its about living, an action verb here, living the way I believe God tells us to. I know all the verses, the sermons, the right things to say, but so what ? Knowing them is not the deal, its living them, daily. Even with your mouth shut, never spouting off one single verse in your life, never stepping foot in a church, but living with compassion and honesty is better than shouting the verses from the mountain top and living a life contrary.
Its the same for any religion. The proof is in the pudding ! I can get caught up in stuff, just like anyone else. It may be used and cheap stuff, but its stuff all the same. The pendulum can swing too far in either direction and take away the balance that is needed to live a good life that is simple and touches lives in the way it should. It requires mindfulness, daily.

Charles Nelson Hines
Captain John "Sandy" Alexander Hines