50+ Lifestyles

How Do We Share Our Legacy?

How can we assure our legacy lives on after we are no longer here?

By Anne Coffman
Marketing Director at Ridgecrest Village

We all know life comes with an expiration date. Of course, we should all have a legal will in place for our finances and estate, but what about all the recipes,
photographs, and other meaningful items that tell the story of your life? How do you leave these to the next generations? How can we assure our legacy lives on after we are no longer here?

Whether your family is local or scattered across the globe, you have several options available. Family photos and recipes are treasured items that can be digitized and shared. There are local businesses that can create digital photo albums on a memory stick. You can make multiple copies that are inexpensive and easy to share. You can also have someone create an online album and give access to all your family members.

For the more intangible aspects of your legacy, you can create what is called a legacy letter or an ethical will. This is not a legal document, but rather it is a letter or compilation of letters and items, written by you, to pass along to your loved ones. Legacy letters can contain whatever you want, expressions of love, stories of adventure, or descriptions of the struggles and triumphs of your life. They can provide apologies, or a recognition of a hurt you may have caused, as sometimes these are easier to express in writing. Legacy
letters can be as simple or elaborate as you like, from just a simple family story to a more detailed description of how you lived your life, how you felt and what you want people to know about you.

At first this may sound like an overwhelming project, but know there are abundant resources, online or manual, to use for reference and guidance. I encourage you to start one right away, as we never know what tomorrow will bring. There are few greater treasures that you can give your loved ones as
a legacy.

Anne Coffman is Marketing Director for Ridgecrest Village in Davenport, Iowa. For more information about Ridgecrest Village, contact Anne at 563-388-3215