A few weeks ago, my topic and thought dealt with things that we received from both parents entitled, “The Best and Worst from Both Sides.”
My focus and consideration today, though somewhat similar, is primarily about legacies that have been bequeathed us by parents, mentors, and other people who preceded us.
These people (whose labors we have entered into and perhaps never got the opportunity to complete what they sacrificed for and often suffered to produce) are the foundation to what we are building and standing on today.
Much of who and what I am today goes back to my great-grandmother, who raised my mother and her five siblings after her daughter, Heneretta, who was their mother, died.
Orilla Edwards, my great-grandmother was a tough and very dominant woman who almost always had her way.
She raised my mother with a firm hand and instilled in her the work ethic and the importance of saving money and not wasting anything of value.
My mother embraced and practiced what she was taught from her grandmother to such a degree that she developed into a human packrat.
Now, most of my brothers (though we hate to admit it) are junior packrats. Speaking for myself, I am notorious for hording things (like clothes, shoes, ties, and other things) that I should either give to someone who needs them or just throw them away.
The more I think about it, I owe a lot to my great-grandmother.
Had it not been for the things she instilled in my mother (who in return passed it down to her children), we would not be the men we are today (who believe in hard work, saving our money, paying our bills, owning our own homes, and living as debt free as we possibly can).
Nearly, all of us have received a rich legacy of some sort from our parents and forefathers.
Though we may not be completely mindful or appreciative of what the generation before us left, we all are benefiting from the sacrifices, sowing, and seeding of those who came before us.
In my opinion, the most important legacy that many of our forefathers and predecessors left us was the Judeo-Christian Ethic. Personally, though my parents left me many things (most of which were intangible), I value the Judeo-Christian Ethic, that I primarily gleaned from my mother, as the most valuable and enduring gift that I received from either of my parents.
Everything else that I received as a part of my legacy must rank a distant second. Then what about the legacy that many have been given by their parents, grandparents, and forefathers that getting an education is foundational to being in a position to live the American Dream.
It is commonly known and a proven fact that those who have at least a high school education will have greater access and opportunity to a job than those who do not.
As the education increases beyond a high school diploma, the income and job opportunities go up almost exponentially.
According to the findings and statistics revealed in a CNN business report (https://www.google. com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/2019/06/06/sucess/college-worth-it/index.html), the average wages of people with a college education in America is $78,000 compared to those who do not have one is $45,000. This is a 75% premium or more than $30,000 a year.
Of course, there are some exceptions in these comparable numbers and some people without a college degree are very successful and wealthy. Then how can we neglect the legacy of belonging to a close-knit family that believes in sticking together in the thick and thin.
I have seen families like that who were not laden with money or natural possessions.
However, the love, unity, and intangibles that were instilled in them by their parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents were infinitely more cherished and valued than gold. It was treasure that no amount of money could buy. I want to believe that I belong to that kind of family.
There are quite a few good things that have been left to us from our predecessors that have enriched our lives and therefore made things a lot easier for us to succeed.
Things that we often overlook and take for granted until we no longer have it.
For example, the advice, counsel, examples, and often impeccable characters that we assimilated from who lived and walked among us.
Often unbeknown to them, they were the artificers, the potters that the Hand of the Almighty used to chisel and sculpt our characters, demeanors, and values.
Many of us were left a rich legacy by parents who had a good name and reputation.
They were good neighbors, good citizens, good members of churches and other corporate bodies. Naturally, their good names and reputations in these areas are often the reason why we have been afforded favor and opportunities in many areas of life. Those who our parents worked for or knew of their good name and reputation surmise that because we are their children, certainly, we must have inherited some of the good qualities they had.
Hopefully, we will not betray the rich legacy that was left to us, but pass it down to our children and grandchildren that it might endure throughout posterity.