A legacy for the future

I took on a project some years back, writing a journal of sorts about everyone who has had an impact on my life. It was about stories, memories and how they made me who I am. For better or worse, even your enemies make you a stronger person and those you love make you a better person for the most part. Perhaps someone you are close to is dragging you down, and you don't realize it yet. I started off with my family, since they were there in the beginning and worked my way forward chronologically. Each one had a unique story and impact which made me who I am today.

It was a great way to show appreciation to those who had a good impact and a outlet for those who wronged me. Even those who were once friends and now not so, earned a spot on this journey called life. Its a legacy to show how people in your life can change who you are and will be. It also gives you a way to forgive those who did you wrong, and a way for others who read the stories to maybe see how toxic people make their way in your life and alter you.

It is a burden to just bottle up the resentment and hate, just let it go in writing about them. Getting that out in writing not only brings closure, but a reminder to the future you to not get involved with those types of people. It may bring up old memories that are not so grand, something painful. But sometimes others need to know what that person is capable of. Some people may not know what harm they do and need a reconning. Don't write it as a smear, but as a lesson. Tell what bad they did and what it did to you, how it affected you.

Those who made a positive impact read what I write and feel often proud of what they did for you and bring them closer to you I found. When people feel appreciated and loved, it makes them better people. You also feel better for making them happier. Some of the people I wrote about have since passed, and its great to know that they knew how much I appreciated everything they did and made such a great impact. I often hear people say, "I wish they knew how much I loved them, or how much they meant to me." This is that way! I used Facebook as my forum. Easy to share and for not only them to see but all my friends. I saved all the posts in their own folder too for easy access too.

When I pass away, I hope they find solace in knowing what they meant to me. I try to write about a few people a year, I do mean to do more. I hope I don't sound like I have a lot of enemies, only 2 people have I writen about unfavorably. But even them I did have good things to say as well. I find that finding something positive in the negative is also healing as well. I don't think people mean to be hurtful. I am sure I played a role in what went wrong as well.

When all is said and done, you can always go back as life moves on and update what you have written. As I have often heard from people wiser than I, "Gratitude is the shortest lived emotion." So make it count and write that they will be both grateful and proud of. Make it count! Make a legacy for you and them!