Happy Mother’s Day! As mothers, fathers, and community members we are leaving our imprints on our community. Our legacies are about learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future. Goethe said, “Choose well. Your choice is brief, and yet endless.”
The choices we make each day of our lives are a part of something bigger. Our legacy may be our children and grandchildren, ideals we hold dear, our community, or some other piece of ourselves. Are we living our lives so that our legacies reflect all that we truly hold most near and dear? Are we spreading kindness and doing our part to make Lenawee better today and for the future?
If you think that only wealthy or ‘important’ people can leave a legacy, you are mistaken. Everyone can make a difference, starting now. You can read to a child, helping him to become successful in school and life. You can volunteer at a food pantry, improving a senior citizen’s health. You can speak encouraging words to someone who needs to know that someone cares. That’s living in the present.
You can also impact the future, leaving things better for those who come after us.
Take the next steps.
- Think about the people and organizations you care about. What nonprofits do you support with your time, talent and treasure? Would you like to do something special in memory of a loved one?
- Gather information and ask questions. Contact Lenawee Community Foundation to assist you in learning more about a nonprofit or community needs, or connecting with a professional advisor, who can make sure you receive the maximum tax and legal advantages.
You can leave a gift in your will or trust to help your home community, any nonprofit, or your favorite cause forever. If you have children you may wish to consider donating a percentage to the Lenawee Community Foundation. Would your heirs miss 10%? And if you don’t have children, why not adopt your community as your heir?
The future is in our hands. Whatever we do – or fail to do – we are leaving our legacy for Lenawee’s future.
When you leave a legacy, you improve the quality of life for others. Whatever your wishes, your hopes, and your dreams for Lenawee, you can make them a reality ‘for good for ever’!
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May is Leave a Legacy month. Suann Hammersmith, President and CEO of the Lenawee Community Foundation, can be reached at (517) 423-1729 or sue@lenaweecf.com.
