A Legacy... 1.22.02

I feel as though I think more about the legacy I want to leave behind than some people may.  The incredible people that have left my life in the last 5 years had a large influence on this focus in my life - thanks to their lessons, guidance, and own legacies.  I think my Mom left a pretty fantastic legacy behind with Christopher and I, her immediate and extended families, and the incredible contingent of friends she developed in 60 years.   So.. what is exactly is a legacy, and how do I develop my own?

According to Merriam-Webster, the (secondary) definition of legacy is:

  "something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past <the legacy of the ancient philosophers>"

I'm pretty much lost on developing my own - my current goals are developing a strong grouping of friends; preferably a diverse one, often referring back to my parents' "unit" for inspiration, motivation, and a reminder of why these people are so important every day. On another legacy related note, I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about an important person over the last few days.  

Twelve years ago today, the world lost a mother, wife, and sister - Lynn Kochka.  I have developed a wonderful friendship with all three of Kochka siblings (her children) over the last 4 years; Kevin, Tara, and Carolyn.  The legacy that Lynn left behind is one that affects my own view of "what I'll leave behind" on a frequent basis.  The morals and values she developed in her kids are the same as my own mom's (and dad's). I see/feel so many similarities in how we were raised - both in the physical (Worcester Connection), the emotional, and so much more.  

Lynn is a woman I would have loved to have met - and maybe I did.  Who knows if on a Harvest Day Saturday she was with the kids at Merrymead and we bumped into each other in the pumpkin corral?  But - one of the things about Lynn's legacy that most touches me is that twelve years after her passing, it brings me to tears as I try to express my admiration for her, my support for her children, and the connection I feel to a woman gone too soon.  I visit Lynn often - she is with my own mom at Central Schwenkfelder - and while I don't "hear" her the way I hear my own mom, I've filled her in on the engagement story of Erin & Kevin, their wedding planning journey, and when I might want to smack her son and future daughter in law upside the head (I mean that in the most loving way possible guys).  

In less words - I hope that my someday legacy is felt by friends of friends, friends of my someday kids, and those that only know me by association.  Lynn C Kochka - you have raised three humble, brave, and compassionate children.  I hope that you know, hear, and see how they strive to make you proud, share stories of your life together, and begin to pass on your family values as they begin their own families.  

Lynn C Kochka      6.16.56 - 1.22.02