We really push legacy here at Illumination Studios. Curating stories unique to the people to whom they belong. Capturing moments, words and emotions to be shared for generations.

But in all honesty, the impact of true legacy didn’t hit me until recently. I despise reality tv but recently watched Dancing With the Stars. Robert Irwin lives his life with authentic passion, channeling his father’s legacy of conservation and kindness, despite losing him at a very young age. That was somehow a wake-up call for me. With five kids and a busy life, most days look like survival. But parenting (and life) should be far more intentional and purposeful. We really need to examine what we want our legacy to look like. How we want to impact our kids and inspire them to passion and a life lived deeper than just going through the motions. Not just living the rat race then dying.

The unfortunate part is that, in a lot of ways, Gabe and I are starting from scratch figuring out what legacy looks like to us. We were both raised by sets of parents who all had unstable and turbulent childhoods. They did their best with the hand they were dealt, but there were many more generational curses yet to be broken. Wounds to heal, emotions to process. Not everyone has generations of beautiful legacy to pass on. And even if you do, you still have to decide what you want your legacy to look like.

Even if you don’t have children, you still impact the world. Your fingerprint will be left behind. In the way we treat our neighbors. The causes we serve and fund. The way we make others feel about themselves. Legacy isn’t just in the big picture, but about the everyday choices we make.

Will you leave a good one?