A life
It is about 6:30 am —beautiful sunrise (again). It will be about 76 degrees today. This weather is just wrong for this time of year — climate change always making itself known.
This morning I joined 60+ from people around the world to celebrate the passing — at 99 years of age — of a magnificent woman. There were childhood friends, those who were with her in the last years and children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Almost 100 years of relationships. It was remarkable. Just thinking about it brings a tear to my eyes.
As I looked upon her family — biological and chosen — I started to think about legacy; particularly what legacy means if you are not passing on your DNA or have tremendous wealth (inherited or self-made) and can name a monument of sorts in your honor.
Here is where I landed:
To have left a life
fully lived
filled with love
honest yet hopeful
purposeful
touching and transforming those whose paths you cross
seeing people for who they are and who they aim to be
This is the legacy I wish to leave behind.
*This blog was written on February 21, 2021.
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About The Author:
Jara Dean-Coffey (jdc) is Founder and Director of the Equitable Evaluation Initiative and the Founder of Luminare Group. For the past twenty-five years, she has partnered with clients and colleagues to elevate their collective understanding of the relationship between values, context, strategy and evaluation and shifting our practices so that they are more fully in service of equity. For more about musings + machinations click here.
