What is Your Legacy?

By: Betty Dangler
Saturday, July 20, 2019

Every day I receive an inspirational quote in my email. Some are better than others and today I received one that had a lot of meaning for me.  It read: “The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy”. (author unknown)

When I read this quote, I thought about my husband, Jim. He was always doing for others, sharing his time, talent and treasure wherever it was needed, especially when it came to children. His love for children was magnetic and children were always drawn to him.

When he died in 2005, my daughters and I tried to figure out a way my husband and their father could best be remembered. Since he loved children so much, we decided to start a James E. Dangler Memorial Fund. Every year, from this fund, we give two Madison High School seniors a scholarship to help them during his/her first year in college. It is so gratifying to know we can give back to the community as well as support young people as they start out in their college careers. During the past 14 years, we hear back from them and/or their parents on how they are doing and how appreciative they are for this financial help.

This was one of the positive ways we could deal with our loss which was so overwhelming at the time. We do miss Jim every day, but to know we are helping others, especially these young adults, helps us to heal.

If you are mourning the loss of a loved one, think about what was important to that person. Could that be part of their legacy? How can you help to carry on that legacy?

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