Below is the document we saw in class about the Mother’s Day Legacy Project. You can reread it here and use it as a guide to prepare a legacy message to your mother and grandmothers or even great-grandmothers. Enjoy!
Ideas, Inspiration &
Information
for Writing Your Legacy Message
for the Mother's Day Legacy Contest
The Something to Remember Me By
Legacy Project all began with a seemingly simple little 32-page picture book
about love and legacies across generations. It is a true story, written by
author Susan V. Bosak as a tribute to her grandmother. Since its publication,
this book has become a bestseller as it has captured the hearts of mothers,
grandmothers, children, and grandchildren across the country. It has also won
six national awards, including the Joan Fassler Award for an Outstanding
Contribution to Family and a Parents' Choice.
People see their own mothers, grandmothers, children, and grandchildren in Something to Remember Me By. Reading the
story has inspired hundreds to write to Susan Bosak to share the legacy their mother or grandmother is passing
along to them, or the legacy they
hope to pass down to their child or grandchild. Many people have given the book
as a special gift to a mother or grandmother as a way to say "I love
you" and have included a note sharing their own personal memories.
For children and grandchildren: This
Mother's Day, give your mother or grandmother the BEST gift of all. Letting her
know the special legacy she's passing along to you, the special memories you
have of her, or how she's made a difference in your life is one of the most
powerful and loving gifts you can ever give. Often, we don't find the time (or
the courage) to say what's really deep in our heart. If you are a child or grandchild -- young or grown -- use these
questions (focus in on one or two) for inspiration to write a Legacy Message to
your mother or grandmother:
· What's your best or most vivid memory of your mother or grandmother, and why is it important?
· What's your favorite family tradition and why?
· What's the one family story you feel most embodies what your family is all about or what values you hold?
· What's the best piece of advice your mother or grandmother ever gave you and why?
· What have you learned from her example?
· Which of her values do you carry forward and why are they important to you?
· What dreams do you pursue because of her?
· What would you like to say to her that you've never said before?
·
What's the most important thing you've learned from her
about life?
For mothers and grandmothers:
We wish only the best for our children and grandchildren. We want to pass along
ALL the things we've learned about life, often through hardship and challenge.
But the reality is that our children and grandchildren must learn many of
life's lessons on their own. They must make their own way. So, what is the
single most important life lesson you would like them to take to heart? Writing
down what your child or grandchild means to you, and offering them a compass to
help them find their way, is one of the most powerful and loving gifts you can
ever give. If you are a mother or grandmother,
use these questions (focus in on one or two) for inspiration to write a Legacy
Message to your child or grandchild:
· What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you were young, and that you would like your child or grandchild to know?
· What's your best, most vivid family memory, and why is it important?
· What's your most cherished family tradition, and why is it important?
· What's the one family story you feel most embodies what your family is all about or what values you hold?
· What's your best piece of advice for living?
· What were your thoughts when you first held your newborn child or grandchild, and how have those thoughts evolved over the years?
· What is your dearest dream or wish for your child or grandchild?
· What's the one thing you would like your child or grandchild to remember about you?
· What does life mean to you?
·
What is most important in your life?
Here are four sample Legacy Message submissions. The first
two are from the author of Something to
Remember Me By, Susan V. Bosak. One is to her grandmother (who inspired Something to Remember Me By) and the
other is to her mother. The third sample is from a grandmother to her
granddaughters. The last sample is from a mother to her daughter.
From: Susan V. Bosak
To: The memory of my grandmother, Eva Krawchuk, who passed away on February 21,
2001 at 102 years
Legacy Message:
There's a line that's repeated in Something
to Remember Me By: "She gave her a big, warm smile and a warm, snuggly
hug." That line captures the essence of your legacy to me. You didn't
speak much English, and I didn't speak much Ukrainian. But we communicated a
great deal through a simple hug. Your hugs were soft, warm, and comforting when
I needed them most. You always smelled like a soothing blend of Nivea cream and
baked goods. Your smile and laugh bubbled up often when I was around, and you
would make me feel like the center of the universe, special and loved. Today,
it is your love that still gives me comfort and strength during difficult
times. And I feel I have a responsibility to you to be good, to do good. You
came to North America from the Ukraine to make a better life for your family. I
have the education, safety, and comforts in my life today because of you. That
brings with it a responsibility to make something of myself and to give
something back. At the very least, I hope to be able to pass on those big, warm
smiles and warm, snuggly hugs. Never underestimate the power of a hug.
From: Susan V. Bosak
To: My mother, Nadia Bosak
Legacy Message:
Your most precious gift to me is the knowledge that it's okay to be different.
One of my most vivid memories from childhood is being jealous of a beautiful,
blond-haired friend. All the boys liked her. None of them liked me, with my
plain, straight, brown hair. When I came home crying one day from school, I
remember you saying that hers was the kind of beauty that would fade quickly. I
had the kind that would last. I also had a good mind, and I should use it and
be proud of it because when I got older, that would make me even more
beautiful. After that, I wasn't jealous anymore. Not only did you send me the
"different is okay" message through your words, but also through your
actions. You were the first woman in our family to get a university degree.
That was a huge deal in those days. You were the first to travel to the
"big city" in search of a career. You were also ahead of your time in
things like eating nutritiously. And you have always tried to balance being
"current" with the traditional values that matter most. Who cares
what everyone else is doing or what the fads are? Who wants to be like everyone
else? You let me know that what I really needed to be was myself. And that's what
I have always tried to be.
From: Grandma Marg Friedman
To: My granddaughters Jessica, 13, and Sarah, 9
Legacy Message:
I loved you from the moment your mother told me she was expecting you. I loved
you even more when I first saw each of you. Even though we don't live in the
same city and I don't see you as often as I'd like, I think of you both every
day. You are my special girls. Now that you're getting older, I think about
what your life will be like. Being your age is tricky. You have to figure out
what to do with your life. That's really hard. I want you to know that you can
do anything as long as you put in the work. Too many people think things come
easy. I found out that nothing is what you get for nothing. If you work hard at
something, I know you will find many opportunities. Always remember that I'll
be here if you need anything.
From: Elizabeth Collins
To: My daughter Samantha, age 20
Legacy Message:
You were a baby and now you're a young woman. I can't believe it. I really
can't. My favorite memory is that camping trip the family took a few years ago
to Falcon Lake. Three days without a bathroom and you thought you'd hate it.
But after the first day, you stopped complaining. We had a really great time
hiking, watching birds, keeping the insects away, and trying to figure out how
to cook the food we brought. It wasn't anything fancy. It was just about
spending time together. Now that you're away at school, I don't see you as
much. But maybe we can go camping again sometime? Keeping some family
traditions will keep us close, and staying close is the most important thing in
the world to me.