My legacy is my granddaughters. I hope that I am remembered for doing more good than harm.

Can’t think of one.

That I lived with honor and integrity, passed that lifestyle onto my children and left the world a better place than I found it.

I always thought my mother lived a simple life a couple hundred miles from me, but at her services when she died, the church was packed with family,friends, and people she encountered in life including her hairdresser telling of how she always turned a negative to a positive in life just being who she was. I think just being who we aree, creates the legacy that we leave in this world more so than the grander acomplishments. Linda

A believe a majority of us go through life never taking into consideration our affect on how we impact on others. As in the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” you never kow how important you are to the chain of things, until you are removed from the equation. I have been a mentor to others and just in the process of being myself, living by my morals and beliefs, I have made a profound difference in the lives of those around me. I will continue to mentor and continue teach and guide as man people as I can so that in my later years I can look back on my life and smile knowing I had a hand in real change for people. And that my name will be brought up over and over in conversations about “My life changed when Belinda did……” That will be my legacy, and what a rewarding one it will be.

I really like Liz’s statement. For myself though I am less cavalier. I would like to be remembered by the images I have taken that have touched their lives and the art that I have created. There are days that I want to be more like Liz and say what the hell, who needs more stuff. It is a mixed bag feeling like I want to be remembered and not wanting to add to the planets problems. Leave nothing but footprints is a interesting problem. Maybe I should just take up ice sculpture.

I believe that “to date” i’ve had an impact on the lives of children and families that i’ve worked with and helped. I’d like to have a larger impact. I’d like to affect policy as it relates to kids. So far i’ve affected lives on more of an individual basis. working with a kid and their family that I connected with. and made a difference somehow. But i would love to change bigger things that matter in ways people don’t even really see. For example: we’re medicating children with psychotropic meds in an incredibly irresponsible and damaging way. I’m not a huge Tom Cruise fan and his religion is behind his fervor on this subject. but he’s right. and i’m bummed that he killed his credibility instead of affecting the problem. I’d like to see our laws around how we take care of kids in the foster care system change. I’d like to see kids with more homes. As i write this i feel guilty. I’ve been distracted by the simplicity of my own life lately. I was much more on fire as a young woman. Need to get on it. But ultimately i’d like to leave the world a little better place. as cliche as that sounds.

I hope my legacy will influence the younger people in my life to live intrepidly and with kindness and compassion. I know that one of my legacies will be the book I’ve written, “Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister’s Memoir,” about growing up as a well-sibling, and a witness to my sister’s battle with Cystic Fibrosis. I wrote it for any women on her own heroine’s journey, and it’s inspiration for becoming a warrior on behalf of your own life. The beautiful thing is it’s a legacy I can share while I’m still on the planet! www.sixtyfiverosesthebook.com

My legacy will be that I led the charge to have Liz Smith’s star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Peace and grace