Memory is a funny thing. I feel as if mine is particularly strange – I can remember the phone number of the house I lived in when I was in kindergarten, but for the life of me I cannot come up with the password for my Pandora account.
There is one particular memory from my childhood that I cherish, although at the time I did not understand the weight it would have on my life as a young adult. It was one of numerous incredible examples set by my Momma; and, yes, I still call her Momma, even at 22.
I must have been around the age of 8, or at least young enough that I was still made to accompany her to the grocery store. After bringing in what seemed like an endless number of bags, my Momma checked the receipt and noticed that the cashier had made a mistake – he had failed to charge us for a handful of items.
Without hesitation, Momma had us find all of the overlooked groceries and load them back in the car. With the groceries in sacks in the back with her four children, she returned to the grocery store and alerted the cashier of the mistake, who then made her act known to the manager, who was speechless. Momma, who is one of God’s examples of ultimate humility, dismissed the praise and made known to the manager, as well as her four children, that it was simply the honest thing to do.
Her mother, my Nana, always mentioned three phrases before passing away in 2010 after a bout with cancer. The one that always stuck out to me, however, was her lesson of “heritage and legacy” explaining that, “heritage is where you come from, and legacy is what you leave behind.”
My heritage is strong. My Nana was a wonderful woman of God – selfless, caring, loving, humble and devoted. My Momma, her daughter, is, as you can see, nothing short of her mother’s example.
Life is funny in that, as you age, lessons you learn as a youngster come full circle. Strangely enough, this is exactly the case in this instance.
Not long ago, my now-fiancee and I made a trip to Wal-Mart because I needed toothpaste and a few other items before embarking on a road trip for baseball. After we had left, I noticed that they had overlooked the toothpaste. For a college kid, this can be a dream come true, but Momma’s example from when I was 8 years old came to my mind. I turned around, returned to Wal-Mart, and in doing so was able to tell the story to my fiancee – full circle.
The highly anticipated return of Spring Sing this weekend brings parents to campus in droves. Students, this is your heritage. The people who have raised you, molded you and taught you lessons, either purposefully or in passing, are all making their appearance this weekend. Cherish your heritage. Now, what is your legacy?
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