I was named after my grandmother, who we affectionately called DeeDee. She was one of the most gracious, giving and Godly women I have ever known. She was a teacher, inducted into the Tennessee Teacher’s Hall of Fame and a faithful women’s Bible study leader.
She was the kind of person who always had something ready to eat for anyone who walked in the door, no matter how many came, or how unexpected they were.
My dad often talks about how when he was growing up, she somehow knew when not to pry, but was always there to listen when he was ready to talk, no matter how late the hour.
She was a great cook and passed on her knowledge to me and my cousins – although maybe not all of her skills- I’ll never be able to make biscuits like hers.
She had a mischievous sense of humor and a laugh that made everyone else laugh too.
She wasn’t afraid to be real, and willingly shared her struggles, always using them as an opportunity to teach others about the ways God was working in her life. Even in the middle of her battle with colon cancer, she never wasted a moment to proclaim the love of God.
She loved her family and never missed an opportunity to spend time with us. I lived six hours away, but because of the many summers I spent at my grandparents’ house and the huge family trips we all went on, I always felt closer. I will forever cherish these times, as well as the cards and emails she sent me through the years that always ended with, “You take care, you hear?”
DeeDee left behind a huge legacy that has been passed down through her children, grandchildren and those she taught. She would tell you she couldn’t have done anything without God’s help, and she would be right. It’s her example of surrendering to God and trusting Him no matter what that I think is the most important. Without her faith in God, anything she did would have been in vain.
Since the day I learned our family would be growing in just a few short months, I’ve been thinking a lot about those who came before me and the kind of legacy I will leave behind when my time here is done.
I want to do better, be wiser, gentler, more patient, and less selfish. Above all, I want others to know me by my love. I want my son and any of our other future children to have an example they would be proud to follow. I will probably never be famous or have the influence of someone like Winston Churchill or Mother Theresa, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do my part.
I don’t know yet what kind of mark I will leave, but like DeeDee, and others I admire who came before me, I want it to be rooted in what God has done for me, and not what I have accomplished for myself. To some, the things DeeDee did would seem small. But to those she loved, and who loved her, they made all the difference. This is the kind of legacy I want to have – insignificant in the world’s eyes, but important in the ways that truly matter.
