The Trick is to Keep Breathing: A Lasting Impression

I often sit here pondering what to write about. It isn't always the easiest thing to come up with subject after subject for blog entries. But the bigger problem...the thing that always catches me, is that I don't want to write about nonsense. I want to write something that someone will read and go...wow she's right, I never thought about it that way before. I want to write something that means something to someone. My whole life writing has been a passion of mine (ask my mom...she'll tell you, I was writing stories by the age of 3), whether it be my thoughts, a story, a poem...but I guess at some point you want someone to come up to you and tell you that what you had to say really affected them. Or that you spoke words that they just couldn't say themselves. I live for that moment, I write for THAT moment! And thus I sit here, not really sure what profound thing I might be able to say. But I cannot let stop me, I have to write, I write in hopes that maybe one day that will happen. So, I choose to write about the things that matter to me most...namely my family.

I think it is this same concept that drives my love of genealogy. I search, file through documents, stare at pictures, piece together broken information in hopes that it not only will help in discovering who I am and where I came from, but also to be able to tell a story. To let those before me make a difference in the lives of those still living. Isn't that how it has always been in history? The greatest artists, writers and so fourth were never truly the greatest until after they died. They became the greatest by leaving a lasting impression. A lasting impression like my grandpa has left in my life. On March 2nd of this year it will be 11 years since he died. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I can't believe that it has already been a decade plus that he has been gone. But I also know that there hasn't been a day since that he doesn't go through my mind in some capacity. He left a lasting impression! My brother was only 5 years old when he died, but if you look at the man that my brother is becoming, you can see my grandpa. In those 5 short years, he impacted the person that my brother will always be. He left a lasting impression! I know that there are plenty more people that he left a lasting impression on, and I know that there will continue to be people that he will leaving a lasting impression on, because I will not let his story die. I will tell stories of my grandpa for the rest of my life. I will tell of the incredible man of God that he was and the incredible love that I still feel from him to this very day! He made a lasting impression!

All in all, I guess my words of advice for today is to leave a lasting impression! Live your life so that those after you will look back and be amazed! So that they will look back and want to do nothing more, but let your story live on. Everyone has greatness inside them, find yours, and leave a lasting impression!