Legacies are about life and living…love and hope…legacies encompass everyone.
Intentionally or not, we all leave behind pieces of ourselves during our lives that others remember us by – even after death.
There are components to legacies:
- Legacy leaving. The leaving something behind – in life or after death.
- Legacy work and/or items. Storytelling, rituals, scrapbooks, tattoos, handprints, photos, videos, music, letters, jewelry, collections, clothes, lessons learned, obituaries…this list can go on and on…
- Legacy living. Again, we all do this every day. It’s an ongoing process of connecting with others and creating memories in meaningful ways.
Their value
Legacies become especially valuable after a death as we, the grieving, find ways to honor and keep alive our loved one’s memories. They create continuing bonds – meaningful ways to maintain enduring, precious connections with loved ones who have died. They are like jewels in the treasure chest of our hearts. When we are grieving, we need to take these jewels out frequently, hold them to a light and enjoy the beauty each one holds.
Donate Life Month
Another treasured way to leave a legacy after death is to be an organ, tissue, and/or cornea donor. April is National Donate Life Month. You can learn more by visiting Donate Life America’s website.
In conjunction with Donate Life Month, a special day for us here at South Texas Blood & Tissue is April 30 – Donor Remembrance Day. This year we plan to recognize, honor, and celebrate our tissue donor heroes by “rejuvenating” our Legacy Garden on Saturday, April 29.
You’ll get there
I realize that donation represents both heartache for donor families and thankfulness for a recipient and their family, which are all components of a grief journey. I hope you can look at your loved one’s gracious donation as being something positive in a very difficult and emotional time.
As always, please remember you are not alone in your grief journey. South Texas Blood & Tissue provides the Grief Support & Life Legacies programs/services as well as our Grief Support Facebook group. In addition, I’m also a phone call or email away.
HUGS,
Susan
