What
do you think I mean by “Your Legacy”? Am
I after your money (I am after all, a fundraiser!)? Or do I mean your legacy to
mankind? Perhaps, on this occasion, a
little of both of these things.
My
legacy to mankind is my three children, two sons and a daughter; all of whom my
husband and I are extremely proud (yes I do know that pride is a sin, but on
this occasion I’m allowing myself that sin!); they have all done well in their
chosen professions, they have not caused us a lot of trouble (only an
occasional little blip or two over the years but nothing serious J). We brought them up to be tolerant of all
people, no matter what religion, race or beliefs their friends had, to be kind
to everyone they met and, quite simply, to care about their fellow men. In return, their legacy to us is eight
beautiful children; two of whom are of Jamaican descent, two of Nigerian
descent, one of Ghanaian descent and three of “pure” British descent (I hope
that doesn’t offend anyone, especially my family but I didn’t know how else to
phrase it!!). I watch these eight
children playing with each other at family occasions, totally oblivious that
any are “different” from their cousins and oh, how I wish all the people in the
world could get along with each other like these children do.
My work with
Children in Distress involves visiting Romania, usually at least once each year
and I see a legacy of another kind; Ceaucescu’s legacy. Without exception, where there is trouble in
any country in the world, it is always the children who suffer the most. Ceaucescu’s legacy was having imported
contaminated blood, he left thousands of children (and adults) with HIV and
AIDS. Unable to afford medication for
their children, parents abandoned them, often to the perils of terrible
institutions where they were bound inside filthy cots, left unattended for
hours at a time, kept short of food and most of all, deprived of love. This is where Children in Distress stepped in
to cure, sometimes; to help, often; to comfort, always. This is their legacy.
Your
legacy could be, simply, to leave a bequest in your Will to Children in
Distress to help them continue this valuable work. The month of May is ‘Make a Will’ month, so
why not make yours and leave a legacy to Children in Distress? No matter how large or small your legacy is, it would make a
difference to the children in our care. Children are our future; we must always care for them.
