Comments on: Spirituality and Legacy

By: David Cooper

David Cooper — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:06:59 +0000

This is a good topic, worthy of much consideration. We will all cross over to the other side one day so now is the time to do something that gives you fulfillment and joy which can have a rippling effect that extends to your loved ones, friends and people you just meet. No one knows the day or the hour they will leave here so acknowledge those who have passed before you and if you want to be remembered……then “remember”…….Ashe.

By: Monica Farrel

Monica Farrel — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:25:18 +0000

I have quite a lot of friends who were named after a dead ancestor… one of my guy pals was named after his dead uncle, who actually died in a land rover… now the thing that bothers me is that his parents, who are immigrants by the way, had a problem when he decided to buy a land rover himself! They thought he would get into danger as well… but he did buy it at last… but i ll tell you a fact… he hot into a road accident just days after he bought the new vehicle… what do we call that? superstition…? or real reason to worry…?

By: Kalila Borghini

Kalila Borghini — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:37:07 +0000

The other day I said to a patient how paradoxical it is that from the moment we are born, we and those around us do so much to ensure that we (and they)are remembered after we/they die. Any thoughts on this?

By: Sugarlove

Sugarlove — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:08:02 +0000

I would be happy to think that one solitary person would remember me after I passed and speak kindly of me. I try to see the best in people and treat them as I would like to be treated. I don’t need my legacy to be a gigantic act. A simple memory of me making a positive difference to one person would suffice. Although if there were enough of them to fill a stadium that would be nice too. ;)

By: Cassie V.

Cassie V. — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:35:14 +0000

You’re being too tough on yourself! Ask friends and family and I bet you’ll get a dozen answers of what they would remember you best for. We all leave an impression on those we come into contact with in some form and believe it or not it’s far more likely to be a good one than bad.

By: Sparky

Sparky — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:21:32 +0000

I don’t have any legacy to leave. That’s a depressing thought. Right now I can’t think of one thing I’d be remembered for or a reason to remember me.

By: Elizabeth R.

Elizabeth R. — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:48:29 +0000

Absolutely, Kalila! Sustaining that connection is very important to me. I keep my dearly departed grandmother alive in my mind by sharing my memories of her and photographs with my children. They only know her through me. She died long before they were born and I hope they will tell their own children the stories I tell them about her and what a wonderful soul she was. I guess that’s our own little family ritual.

By: LaScala

LaScala — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:32:29 +0000

Not talking about them is a surefire way for them to fade from your memory. When we remain silent, we’re allowing a part of our family heritage to fade into invisibility. Each of us should aim to do something that will ensure our family doesn’t let the life we lived and the person we were be forgotten. I would hate to think that a year on after I passed, people would struggle to remember who I was.

By: Kalila Borghini

Kalila Borghini — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:01:51 +0000

I’m wondering why, Matt, you feel the need for things to be scientific. It seems to me that the purpose of rituals is to remember those who have been passed on and to sustain connection and provide comfort for the living.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:49:48 +0000

I love how in other cultures there is so much spirituality and looking got the past to navigate the present and the future. We can learn so much from our ancestors and our history and hope that I can stress this to my own children as they get older.

By: Kalila Borghini

Kalila Borghini — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:47:16 +0000

Thank you both for your comments on my article. It may help when thinking about our ancestors to focus not only on the loss but also the many positive things we have gained from them. As we acknowlege our own need to be remembered, this will help us take steps to acknowledge those who have come before us, especially if we haven’t done so thus far.

By: matt

matt — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:14:01 +0000

I find most of these rituals out of place and consider them a tradition rather than having a practical reasoning… it has to do with what their ancestors followed, not necessarily what is scientific!

By: soldy

soldy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:11:43 +0000

It makes me sad when I see unkempt graves and memorials that are in disarray. I grew up with a healthy attitude towards respecting a final resting place and remembering our loved ones that had passed over. In my family we talk about them yet I’ve seen others that do everything they can to avoid that. Talking about them can be painful of course because you miss them and in time it eases. We should embrace that pain as a natural and loving response indicative of our love for them.

By: themuse

themuse — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:56:49 +0000

I enjoyed your article, Kalila. I like to write and would want to be remembered for that. I can think of nothing sadder than to leave this world and not have left an imprint on it.