My daughters' inheritance

The concept of legacy has been on my mind a lot lately as I have been going through a parenting class at church in preparation for Baby Dedication.

As a minimalist, I use what I need and get rid of the rest (sometimes to my regret later when I realize I sure could have used that doohickey that I gave to Goodwill last week...) As a result, I don't have a lot of "stuff" that anyone will want when I'm gone. And honestly, that's not what I want to be remembered for. I especially don't want to be the cause of fighting and arguing.

My daughters will each get my real jewelry: Big Girl the engagement ring because it's her birthstone, and Little Girl the cross necklace because it has her birthstone.

I have already given them many inheritances, not all of them positive. Big Girl, I strongly suspect, has inherited her very own gluten intolerance, as well as the need for justice to prevail. I pray for her down the road because I know how hard graciousness is to come by when you are strong minded and come up against a situation that's "just not fair!"

She has also inherited a desire to make things with her hands. I think instead of a knitter, she will be an artist like her dad. I have a second chance at that knitter, although all she does right now is chew on the yarn and chase it like a cat.

As a Christian, I obviously want to leave them with the knowledge that their parents love them and God loves them even more. I hope that they will have a personal relationship with Jesus when they grow up, and even now, when Little Girl is still sitting with her legs dangling in a plastic bucket chair listening to an adult sing "Jesus Loves Me."

I want them to have a passion for learning and to make a difference in their world. I want them to be kind and compassionate to the needy. I want them to be hard workers and to be wise, yet generous, with their money and talents.

So thank you to all my families: my biological family, my "married in" family, and my church family, for giving my daughters an inheritance that matters. Who they are and what they will become is thanks to all of you and the gifts of love and time that you have given them.