Helping others, helping yourself: a loved one's legacy

How do you want to be remembered? It's a question most of us will encounter at some point in our lives. Ask the people around you what they want to be remembered for, and you'll probably hear answers like:

• helping others
• being a good wife (or husband or parent)
• my integrity

Although it's natural to want to honor and preserve the memory of someone who has died, survivors may be unsure of the best way to do that. If you are considering ways to honor your loved one, ask yourself how he or she would want to be remembered. You'll undoubtedly come up with several excellent ideas, but if you need some suggestions, consider the following:

• Donate money to a worthy cause your loved one would support.
• Purchase a park bench with your loved one's name inscribed.
• Volunteer with your local hospice to help support dying patients and their families.
• If the deceased leaves behind school-age children, start a scholarship fund to support their education.
• Help to mentor the surviving children.
• Organize a community blood drive in memory of the deceased.
• Volunteer time with the local library, community center, or some other organization that would be meaningful to your loved one.

In addition to preserving your loved one's legacy, you'll reap the rewards of helping others – a powerful way to help your grieving heart to heal.

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)