"If We Ever Leave a Legacy, It's That We Loved Each Other Well"

I went to an Indigo Girls concert at the Minnesota Zoo last week.  The Indigo Girls are pretty amazing.  They've been playing together for almost 30 years, and they write most of their own music.  Not only are they great musicians, but they are also fabulous lyricists, and the words in their songs continually hit me in new ways.

One of their most popular songs is called Power of Two.  It's a love song in the realest sense of the term: not just about the happy parts of love, but also the difficult parts.  Listening to them perform it last week, I was especially struck by one line: "If we ever leave a legacy, it's that we loved each other well."

And I decided that is the legacy which I'd like to leave. 

Maya Angelou made the radical claim that "People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel."  I think that is right on target.

I'm not going to have a crazy-successful career, or do something particularly important for humanity.  I'm not going to save lives or bring justice or publish literature. The way things are currently going, I may never procreate and have the chance to mold a new human life into someone outstanding.  I'm not going to be famous in any sense of the word.  Those aren't my goals.

But I do hope that when my time on earth ends, the resounding theme of my life will be one of love and light.  I hope that people will say Kate Kilian loved well.  Kate Kilian was a good friend.  Kate Kilian created and sustained positive energy.  Kate Kilian attended my birthday.  Kate Kilian hosted great parties.  Kate Kilian made me smile.  Kate Kilian listened to me without judgement.  Maybe those aren't all things people would say about me today, but they are all things that I can strive to achieve.

Especially in light of my relationship status, small family, and lack of children, I think I have an unspoken fear of NOT leaving a legacy, of not being remembered by future generations. But maybe being remembered in the future isn't the only definition of legacy.  Maybe bringing something positive to the people who I love in this life, in this moment, is at least as indicative of success.  Maybe how I treat people is more important than any personal achievement.

If I ever leave a legacy, I hope it's that I loved well: deeply, broadly, and sincerely.  I hope it's that the people who I love know through my actions, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they are valued, supported, and - my personal favorite - never alone.