Mets day 579 - Living like I'm dying

A few days ago I came across an article titled "Why We Should Live Like We Were Dying" (link here).   Instead of bucket lists, the author focuses upon what she calls a "legacy list": the process of building strong connections, continuing (or starting) family traditions, and sharing memories with your loved ones.  The author speaks of the need to schedule "legacy time".  What is important to each person differs, so she offers some self-assessment questions: 

• What am I doing to lead a life that has the greatest meaning?
• What stories do I want to leave for others?
• What do I do (or have I done) in my life that has been impactful?
• What do I want to say and do with the special people in my life?
• What wisdom and experience do I have that is important to share with my loved ones?
• What kind of legacy did my parents leave for me? What are the best things about their legacy and how can I replicate them? 

She offers a number of suggestions of what might be on the legacy list, including a personal history or collection of memories; favorite recipes; mementos; or traditions.  "The key is to think about how you would like to be remembered. What stories would you like your loved ones to tell their loved ones about you? What examples would you like to set for future generations?"

I think those are questions that are useful to every person to ask themselves, not just those who are keenly aware of their own looming mortality.  A legacy list should not be about death, but about a purposeful, positive, and meaningful life.

I've been considering pulling together a personal history, but it seems to be such a daunting project.  I need to just get going on collecting stories from my life.  There are so many threads to the tapestry of my life, but most are shrouded in my memory, and no one but me knows how it is woven.  Unless I record it somehow, those fragments will probably not be tied together.  I'm going to recommit myself to leaving a better legacy to my loved ones.