Legacy In Joan Chittister's Legacy

Death is something that has crossed the mind of us all at one point or another. For some it crosses our mind as something tragic happens and has us questioning our own mortality. Others maybe more aware of their fragile mortality and wonder what happens beyond the grave. But something that is less thought of is what do those who we leave behind think of us. Once our bodies become one with the earth once again what is left of us. What do we leave behind? Not in the material sense but what impact have we made on the lives of those around us and what emotions does that invoke for people. According to the article, Legacy by Joan Chittister, our legacy is “the qualities of life we leave behind.”(216) Chittister is a Benedictine Monastic who has penned several books, speaking actively and is the Prioress of the Benedictines of Erie. The chapter from her book The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully, titled Legacy is about how the life we have lived doesn’t just fade off into the distance once we pass. Chittister takes us through a journey of what a legacy means and how it should be seen in different parts of life. She begins by pointing out the legacy she speaks of is much greater than a financial legacy. This isn’t the idea of a legacy being your net worth. It’s not how much money you leave those around you but how you enriched their lives. People stress about the day to day life when in actuality they are leaving so much behind. By enjoying and focusing on the wrong things. We leave behind our views on the world, we leave behind our sense of …show more content…
Even people who believe there is nothing but dirt after would benefit from living there lives in a positive legacy way. Chittister wrote a book on growing older, but I view this chapter on a way to live life. How to actively mold your years of youth to set yourself up to be able to actively add to your legacy and not reach old age and wonder what