Leaving a Legacy:
Finding Meaning in Memories, Activities, and Connections
By Jeannette Franks, PhD
Putting life in order in old age is a challenging, crucial, and rewarding task. Most of us would want to leave behind more than garage sale giveaways. The elderly leave us a priceless gift when they bestow their knowledge, skills, and history to family and beloved friends. Helping a person with the task of leaving a legacy is an opportunity to benefit everyone involved.
Many families and individuals wait until it is too late. After my mother died I found many letters, photos, and maps from the early 70s when my parents had lived in Kuwait. I called the University of Washington Archives and learned that they would love to have this material, especially her letters-a unique source of primary history. My mother would have been thrilled, but I find it sad that she wasn't the one to offer her correspondence for posterity.
This article continues at Leaving a Legacy.