Find out more about the steps you can take to reflect on a lifetime of memories and make sure you leave a lasting legacy with help from The Good Care Group.
Taking steps to create a lasting legacy can be a rewarding and fulfilling process for you or your loved one.
It’s never too early to start thinking about how you’ll be remembered. Here, we’ll look at the steps you can take to make sure you leave behind as many happy memories as possible.
Ideas for leaving behind a lasting legacy
Choosing the ideas or items that will help your name live on is an intensely personal decision. But, these are some of the options regularly chosen by people who want to leave behind a lasting legacy:
Record your past
Gathering and recording things from your past can help you create a cherished memento of your life.
There’s a range of different options you can try, including:
- Making a photo album: a visual record of the most important moments and people from your life.
- Creating family records: a written record of family stories, recipes, songs, medical records and life lessons.
- Recording yourself via video or audio: a memento that captures your speech patterns and mannerisms.
- Collecting cards and notes: written notes that can be given to relatives as a keepsake, or to be opened to mark a special moment in their life (such as a wedding or graduation).
Ask for help in creating these records, and you can turn the process into a rewarding family activity.
Visit special places
Visiting important places from your life can help you close the book in a very personal way.
Choosing this route can help you take stock of how far you’ve come and remember the places you’ve visited along the way.
Drop in on old friends if you have the opportunity. Use this chance to reminisce about moments from your past. Take pictures to document this experience, and add these to your photo album.
Share this experience with relatives to add colour to your family history and create memories that can continue to be passed on.
Donate to worthy causes
Donating money or possessions can help you make a positive impact long after you’ve gone.
If you’re thinking about donating to a charity or institution, consider the causes you’re most passionate about, as well as the ones that have had the greatest effect on your life.
A life well lived may mean you’ve accumulated objects or stories that future generations would want to know about. Think about donating these to a museum, where the story can be preserved.
You can make these donations in your will, or sooner if you’d like to see how your donation will be used.
Set up a memorial
A memorial can be a discreet, highly personal physical feature that helps your name live on.
It might be something you choose to set up, or something that’s given to you in recognition of a donation.
If it’s something you or your family will set up, start by thinking about where you want the memorial positioned. Close to a special place or person are options that many people choose.
Then, consider the type of memorial (plaque, bench, stone etc.) and message you’d like to represent your name.
Creating a lasting legacy needn’t be a solemn experience. In fact, it can be a rewarding, shared endeavour that helps you spend quality time with the people that you love.
Find out more about how The Good Care Group can help you or your loved one achieve a higher quality of life in your later years.
