Once upon a time this sweet Barbie ride was mine. I enjoyed it very much while it drove my imagination; while I dreamed life-like scenes and situations for my dolls, breathed them into some sort of reality.
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Now I have girls of my own who play with Barbies, and the Corvette has been rediscovered. Sure, it's a little dated. Styles have changed. Our idea of entertainment is not as it once was. But there's still enjoyment to be found with this toy. Its worth shines as it carries the next generation of dolls, and my daughters' own imaginations.
Photo from IdhankaI hope the same for my writing. That while my words will over time will be forgotten, put away to storage as many toys are, they'll someday be rediscovered. My girls will come of an age when they can find new purpose, enjoyment, appreciation in the things their mother has written.
Styles will have changed. The life I've breathed into my characters, and what I've created as some sort of reality, may not shine as brightly in the years to come. Not as it did for me.
But if my writing is worthy, it will carry the next generation. Carry my daughters' imaginations, much like it has mine.
What does legacy mean to you?
38 comments:
When I was young, I always wanted a corvette. It was my favorite car. :-)
When they are older,I'm sure your girls will have a ball with what you've written. Your writing will be their treasures.
-FringeGirl
Ooh, love that car Janna. I would love a real pink sports car some day.
Though I might never be able to give up a carpooling kind of car so I can actually haul some groceries :-).
Wouldn't it be lovely for the next generation to still be reading our books?
Janna, this is a wonderful way to look at our writing. Something our children will glean from in years to come. Yes, I'd like that too!
Janna, when I saw this on FB I thought it was an actual pink corvette and my image of you did a 180 for a second. ;) I also had a Barbie corvette, but mine was silver.
I love the idea of your children finding the things you created years later. Kind of gives a new perspective on self-publishing. That if you absolutely can't sell a book, making one copy for posterity isn't all bad.
Oh, that Barbie Corvette! It was the thing to have! That and the townhouse. :)
I agree with you, though. Writing styles may change, but the message lives on. I've recently read a few extremely old novels (Voltaire) and was pleasantly surprised at how intelligent and fantastic they were. When you're good, you're good!
I think that's a good description of legacy. Something in the back of our minds that we hold dear and are proud of, or something. I actually haven't thought too much about it before.
I don't know if my words will carry to the next generation or not. Hmmm.
I love this post, Janna. So profound. We can write for posterity as well as our peers.
I think when your girls are done playing with the Barbie car, you need to give it as a Blog Prize! mwahaaahahah! I am not coveting; just admiring...
Beautiful. But I have to say, I'm a little jealous about the Corvette. My Barbie only had a pink jeep. I still have it. I played with it. My daughter played with it. I hope my granddaughter will also play with it. You know, many, many years from now because I'm so not ready to be a grandma!
I love the thought of my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren reading my writing in the future. I have a letter written to my grandmother by her father in 1941 and I treasure every page and the glimpse into the past.
Pink Barbie Corvette: CLASSIC!
I had the burnt-orange-camper thingy: eh.
You made a good point: our words are part of the legacy we leave behind. Our children will find them when they are ready for them, when life's challenges will send them back to talk/revisit mother's words.
The best thing about our writing legacy is that it will continue. It'll be a treasure keeps being rediscovered, whether it's by friends and family or strangers in a library. The written word--in whatever form--will have a legacy.
Great post, Janna.
For me, legacy is found in how I parent my children, the sense of humor I share with them and the same personality traits that came from my genes. I hope I am fortifying them for life as adults, to go in search of their happiness and the joys found in their work and in their own families.
As far as toys go, I gave my children my old 'Hot Wheels' collection, complete with the General Lee and a black T-top Firebird with the emblem on the hood. Of course those were 70s models, probably cars you've never seen before. *Snort*
Melanie - I had the silver one too!! Twins!
I hope that someday my nieces and nephews will read the books I've written and be proud.
Legacy means everything you said, traversing through time making our children smile with rememberance.
Legacy, passing along something bigger than myself, with lasting meaning. Oh, my that was kind'a deep for me...snicker....
Great post, Janna! And we have a newer model of the corvette, but it hasn't changed much. Kind of like a reprint of the same old classics we grew up with. I hope my books stand the test of time like these corvettes.
*high-fives JLC*
I can't believe how many of us dreamed of Corvettes when we were little. Mine was baby blue and faassst!
Legacy, hmmm.. I think it's about love, heritage, acceptance, knowing your place in the world.
And, they grow up too fast, don't they? It breaks my heart to see the time go so quickly.
It's nice to think of what we do as being worthy of "legacy". And I had a barbie vette too...but it was yellow and orange and a convertible! Of course with the peace signs and flower stickers. It was the 70's. And I had a camping van too. I thought I was all that! LOL
I think it is interesting how we hang on some of our favorite belongings to pass down to our children.
I hope my legacy is how I dealt with the bad times--that my daughter saw that I clung to God even when I thought life was too hard.
Pink Barbie cars will always appeal to a young girl!! There's no outdating that, especially the PINK! I can only hope and pray my writing is Pink too!
This post makes me want to have a girl! I would love my writing to be timeless, to transfer from one generation to the next. I'm thinking my son wouldn't really ever appreciate the romances as much as a daughter might, though. Great post! Reminds me of that song...I Want to Leave a Legacy...not sure if that's the actual title.
I have lost both my parents. I am sure your writing will be a treasure for your children after you are gone. What a beautiful gift to them.
I had the Barbie convertible. Man, I loved that car!
And I love the idea of having something for your kids to read. I'm not sure if I will have kids, but if I do, I will be so thrilled to have my writing waiting for them.
Legacy to me means writing something worthy of remembering. I hope I can do that much before I leave this earth.
Since I am not a writer, I would say that I would hope that our legacy would be to our children.
My prayer is that they would see that we always tried to live our lives as people of faith, and to remember the ways in which we trained them up in the way that they should go, so when they are old, they will not depart from it.
And remember the humor! Sometimes we were laughing to keep from crying. The good stuff.
This has become very important to me. In fact much of what I write and for my family, especially my children. I hope that one day they will look back at my words and in some way they will help to carry them forward:)
This is the reason that I began my blog originally, and the fuel that keeps me moving forward on my memoir. I am writing a legacy that I hope my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will read one day. I hope it will give generations to come an opportunity to know me. Good post, Janna
Love this post, old things are new again. Maybe I'll go dust off some of my older attempts at writing.
My daughter doesn't like Barbies, so there was no chance for me to pass on my Barbie toys. But that's ok. :-)
Hi Janna -
My Mom shared her love of dolls with me from the time I could hold my first, "baby." I'm not sure who had more fun, her or me.
Both parents gave me a greater legacy, a legacy of faith. They not only taught me with words, but also by their actions.
Blessings,
Susan :)
What a wonderful post, Janna. I moved to the States too late to play with Barbies, so I can't relate on that. Regarding legacies, I'm hoping to pass compassion, love, and acceptance to them.
I didn't have the car, but I had the huge Barbie house with the elevator.
I never even thought about my kids reading the stuff I've written. That's a pretty cool thing to look forward to:)
Love, love this blog! The generational faith of strong Native American and English peoples outlines my life path with age-old stones.
Last Sunday, our son joined the other Alan Lacys when he submitted to the ordinance of baptism.
If God took me then, I would've died with a huge grin on my face.
Legacy...
Legacy for me is making sure my kids know about "their people". One day I hope they will pass on the tradition and tell our family stories to their children.
I still have my pink Barbie Corvette with an 8-track tape and CB radio. My daughter didn't play with Barbies so the car is just sitting in the closet. Maybe my future granddaughter will play with it one day. (Her people didn't throw anything away....that's what she'll think.)
Love the Barbie car!!! I think legacy is one of the reasons we all write - it's a way to leave our hearts in the world when we're gone.
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