Reflections on a legacy

What do you think of when you consider the word "legacy?" I hadn't thought much about that until yesterday. As we laid my sister-in-law to rest, her oldest son read a eulogy he wrote with the help of his siblings. She had been an incredible mother and as her children shared their memories of her, it was obvious that the things she taught them were the things we all teach our children. What made her so special was the fact that, well, it worked!
Her children speak of her with smiles and love and respect. Her children didn't wonder aloud what they might do without her, for they knew she had given them all they needed to face whatever life might throw at them with the same dignity and honor and grace that she did. Her life was an open book to her kids and this allowed them to be open with her. Her strength and her spirit taught all who knew her to be strong and brave. She didn't just leave memories with her husband and children. She left a legacy.
I have known and loved a lot of people. I have respected many. I have admired only a few. I admired my sister-in-law. That is a legacy.