What is the legacy you want to leave behind?
For many average Americans, especially those who rent, work hourly jobs, or never accumulate major assets, the legacy they leave isn’t primarily financial.
I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.
I’m probably never going to leave behind a mansion, a trust fund, or some life-changing inheritance. Most of us won’t. But the older I get, the more I realize that maybe legacy was never just about money in the first place.
I want to leave behind family traditions. I want my daughter to remember movie nights, holiday rituals, recipes passed around on worn-out note cards, and the stories we tell over and over until everyone knows the punchline.
I want to leave behind values, too. The importance of hard work. Choosing kindness when the world feels harsh. Getting back up when life knocks you down. Showing up for your community and the people you love.
If one day my family can say, “She loved us well,” honestly, that’s the kind of wealth I’m hoping to leave behind.
