The Importance of How We Live

This is a repost of something I wrote just about a year ago. The very strange part of it is, that last night in bed I could think of little else besides this subject and it was the first thing on my mind this morning. When I turned on the computer I did a search of my blog for what I had said about my mother's legacy and to my sheer wonderment, almost a year to the day, I wrote about the very thoughts that filled my mind last night and this morning.

Blogging is an opportunity much like television is, to make an impact on society for good. To make changes, to share wisdom and information. Blogging is your personal opportunity to share what wisdom you have to share, to define your legacy. All of us are born with a purpose, some folks just never take the time to find it, they are too busy making their life revolve around the things that don't really matter in the end. Motherhood is profoundly important. It is the purpose of many women, but don't let it become just a day to day, get through it thing, think about the impact good mothering has on future generations. I always like to think about the wife of Jonathan Edwards, Sarah. A women we know about not because she embroidered well, or had a well stocked pantry, or had a home well decorated, we know about her because she was a wonderfully kind person, a dedicated mother and her legacy which has gone on for many generations "The legacy left by the Edwards family is as fascinating as the study of their lives. Over four hundred descendants of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards have been traced. Of these, fourteen became college presidents, roughly one hundred became professors, another one hundred ministers, and about the same number became lawyers or judges. Nearly sixty became doctors, and others were authors or editors. The Edwards family pictures Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Now just for a moment think about the famous people you admire that have made the world a better place....what are they known for ? Since I am primarily thinking women here, some that I admire are Corrie Ten Boom for her thoughts, Mother Teresa for her deeds, Golda Meir for her dedication, not one person on my much larger list than I have given is admired for her cleaning schedule or her ability to knit. Not that those things are not a part of us, but they should not be the thing that defines us, be our legacy. We have been born with a higher purpose than the things that rust and gather dust.

Here is the post I wrote last year. . .

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.

John "Sandy" Alexander Hines

Captain Charles Nelson Hines