"It’s freezing cold outside! Put on your shoes or you will catch your death of pneumonia!”  This is a saying that my dad will be known for by my children. He would say it every time they went outside without having on their shoes (especially when it really was cold!).  My dad lived in a backhouse in our backyard for 14 years and when my kids were little, many times they would run out to Poppa’s barefooted and he would always say the same thing! It’s funny the things that the next generation will remember.  Or even those around us. How would others characterize you? It could be one little, seemingly, small saying (put on your shoes or you will get pneumonia!) or an action that you do repeatedly, good or bad, that others around you will remember. We can be remembered as one who huffed and puffed when life threw us some lemons or one who turned those lemons into lemonade. Our children and others around are watching and learning from us everyday. It is true that our actions speak everyday to those around us--our choices, priorities, reactions.
  What do you want to be remembered for?  Start by working your way backwards. Begin with the END in mind. By being intentional about the things we say and do, we can be on the road to being remembered for the things we value, the things we hold dear, by the way we live--hopefully embracing each day and being “characterized” by those things that we consider important! My dad really did believe that not wearing shoes would make you sick. I’m just not sure he would realize how much my kids remember his saying that! But they also remember someone who loved them dearly, valued them as individuals, cared for them deeply ...... and also, he really didn’t want them to get sick!!