What is my legacy?

In the hustle and bustle of my life, I have to always be reminded to stop and "smell the roses".  I will admit, if they had a rehab for people who take on too much, I would be the first to sign up!  I don't know why I do it to myself, but I have.

In the process of taking on three businesses, a full time job, being mother of two, and wife to a man who also takes on too much, I have started to realize that it is or will take a toll on my family.  I had one of those "aha" moments as Oprah likes to call them the other morning as I was feverishly trying to get everything into book bags and comb a 3 year olds snarly hair.  What are my kids really going to remember of me?  What legacy am I leaving for them?

Now maybe you are reading this thinking that I am crazy because legacies are not something that we think about until we are older.  However, I really believe that I want to start thinking about that now while I have something to say about it!   So, I have started to think about what I want to leave as my legacy for my kids.  Do I really want them to think of me as the stressed out mommy who was running from meeting to meeting or do I want them to remember a happy mommy who was fulfilled and made time for them and for herself?  It is a hard balancing act to play, but one that I know I must work on.

In the meantime, I am going to help my ancestors leave their legacies with my kids.  I was stuck the other day when I was telling my son a story about my paternal grandfather and he said to me, "Mommy, you had a grandfather?"  Have I really failed to mention all of the great times that I had growing up with this man?  Had I really forgotten to tell my kids that I got my blond hair and blue eyes from this man?  That he one of the greatest men to ever walk this earth?  

So, while I work on the legacy that I am building, I am also going to work on telling and recording more of the stories that make me who I am and ultimately, who my children are as well.  I believe strongly in the power of story and feel that it will help my children be more connected to me and those great people that I had the pleasure of growing up with as well!