My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you...
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Proverbs 7:3
What's your favorite day of the year? I suppose most people would answer Christmas or their birthday. A football fanatic might say Super Bowl Sunday. Or someone prepared with the Sunday School answer would offer Easter Sunday.
Mine is June 5th. It passes each year in virtual obscurity, celebrated by a scraggly little band of six, two of whom don't even comprehend its significance. June 5th is the day I became Scott's bride but it's also the day we became a family.
Each year we mark its passing with a family celebration. Shopping is accomplished. Delicious food is consumed. In truth none of this even matters to me. The final gift of the day is the one I most cherish.
Scott writes an annual letter to each of his five girls. He celebrates God's goodness to our family through struggle and triumph. He observes God's unique gifts in each heart and life. I cry from the first word to the last.
When Scott was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 we had no idea whether we had six more months or six decades as a family. In truth none of do. Part of the peace I carried in my heart during Scott's cancer was knowing our children had a written record of his great love for them. They had a place they could return again and again to soak in their father's love.
My friend, Jeff Goin, wrote yesterday about a trophy his father had given him. He has a visible symbol of his father's love. Scott's letter is the same.
What will your kids read or hold after you're gone? What message will their heart receive? Why not take a moment today to leave an intentional, tangible legacy with your kids?
