A Dog Named Brittany - 1995-2009

Awareness of ultimate and inevitable loss is what gives us the urgency to accomplish the creation and preservation of our legacy. Without the awareness that people and times comes to an end, we might be tempted to put off for too long the which we know we must do.

So I was reminded yesterday with the death of our much loved English Springer Spaniel named Brittany. She was a sweet and loving dog whose end we had anticipated over the last two years of canine diabetes and arthritis. And yet, when the end finally came, it still seemed sudden. Isn't that how it always goes? Even with advance warning we so often put off what we know we should and must do.

I took comfort in Lord Byron's poem to his dog, Boatswain.

On a monument placed in the garden of Newstead.
A prose inscription precedes the verses:—

"Near this spot
Are deposited the Remains of one
Who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.
This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
If inscribed over human ashes,
Is but a just tribute to the Memory of
BOATSWAIN, a Dog,
Who was born at Newfoundland, May, 1803,
And died at Newstead Abbey, Nov. 18, 1808."

When some proud son of man returns to earth,
Unknown to glory, but upheld by birth,
The sculptor's art exhausts the pomp of woe
And storied urns record who rest below:
When all is done, upon the tomb is seen,
Not what he was, but what he should have been:
But the poor dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend,
Whose honest heart is still his master's own,
Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,
Unhonour'd falls, unnoticed all his worth-
Denied in heaven the soul he held on earth:
While Man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,
And claims himself a sole exclusive Heaven.
Oh Man! thou feeble tenant of an hour,
Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power,
Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust,
Degraded mass of animated dust!
Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat,
Thy smiles hypocrisy, thy words deceit!
By nature vile, ennobled but by name,
Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.
Ye! who perchance behold this simple urn,
Pass on- it honours none you wish to mourn:
To mark a Friend's remains these stones arise;
I never knew but one,- and here he lies.

Newstead Abbey, October 30, 1808.

“Tell Your Family Story” Contest

An interesting competition that I learned about from the Association of Personal Historians.

Pendleton Woolen Mills Running a “Tell Your Family Story” Contest

Pendleton Woolen Mills is running a “Tell Your Family Story” contest. You must share your family story in 500 words or less--and you have a chance to win an exclusively designed jacquard blanket depicting the story--patterned after a traditional Native American trade blanket.

“For generations, blankets have been woven with story-telling designs that speak to various aspects of important elements of life, such as rites of passage, legends and community,” says Robert Christnacht of Pendleton Woolen Mills. “This contest gives one family an opportunity to tell their family story in one of the most authentic American traditions, the Trade Blanket.”

You may pick up entry forms at several Pendleton Woolen Mills store locations or online at their website. The winning entry will be selected for its authenticity, creativity and originality by a panel of Pendleton judges. The winner receives 12 of the specially designed blankets.
Entries must be received by April 30, 2009. The winning family will be announced by May 30, 2009.

“To help celebrate the six generations of our family,” says Mort Bishop III, president, Pendleton Woolen Mills, “we wanted to give families around the country a chance to have something lasting, unique and truly special.

Here's the link: http://www.pendleton-usa.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1303&itemType=CATEGORY&path=1%2C3%2C197%2C1303

Mr. Bishop says " chance to have something lasting, unique and truly special." Sounds a lot like a Priceless Legacy LifeStory!

"The Box" By Gail Smith

A fan of Priceless Legacy, Gail Smith, sent me this poem of her creation. I think it captures beautifully the emotions that attend our vital work. (With apologies for the formatting that that blog will impose on her work!)


“The BOX”

Often cardboard, tattered and stained, long forgotten and unexplained!

The contents vary, yet so the same, pictures, letters, our life proclaim!
We all have one, unique, yet not, a trail of life, memoirs forgot

The values vary, some low, some high, dependent on our last goodbye.

Buried Treasures or piled up trash? Reckoned by what’s within your dash!

That little line, defines your worth, from time of death, back to your birth.
Life’s all about, our firsts and lasts and in between with such contrasts!

Our deepest thoughts, our life’s forecasts, yet in the end, it’s all our pasts.
What life story does your box tell? Are you happy with this farewell?

Will your loved ones fondly reflect, upon your box with great respect?
If not, start NOW! Build your best box! Fill it with love; share your hard knocks,

Tell lessons learned, reveal the facts, disclose the joy of all your acts!
When you are gone, they’ll want to know, answers, details told long ago.

They’ll search the box, for hours on end, sweet memories, your touch transcends!
Make sure you share the key to find, the BOX of Life you leave behind.

This will become a treasure chest; your legacy, true and blessed!


Gayle Smith

11/10/08

Unpublished work © 2008 Gayle Smith

LifeStory Versions

Many LifeStories are simple chronological narratives. Some, on the other hand, have a specific theme or orientation.

For example,

Donor Thank You LifeStories - whereby an institution sponsors a LifeStory to be created in honor of a patron or supporter).

Corporate History - whereby the Subject discusses his corporate LifeStory.

Career LifeStory - a sort of "Mr. Holland's Opus" overview of a Subject's career.

Faith Witness - A LifeStory revisited in the context of a particular religious faith.

Fundraising LifeStory - Using the LifeStory as a mechanism to raise money for a group.

Avon SuperBowl Ad

I saw this Avon ad during the Superbowl. Of course they are trying to recruit Avon salespeople (I guess "Avon Lady" is a dated term).

I was struck by how many of benefits described by these Avon women equally apply to our Legacy Consultants. And, there is one key addition. Our Legacy Consultants make huge and everlasting impact on the individuals and families they serve. That is a much harder claim to make about most consumer products.

Lifestyle, income, making a difference, having fun . . . sounds like a good deal to me.

Superbowl Reflections

Having served as CEO of Beckett Media for the four years before founding Priceless Legacy, I can't help but view sporting events through a business lens. Beckett, for the unfamiliar, is the nation's premier publisher of price guides and other content in electronic and print form for sports collectors.

Among sports collectors, it is not uncommon to pay prices in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollars for game worn jerseys or prized trading cards. For example, a 2004 Topps Ben Roethlisberger rookie card graded by Beckett as a perfect 10 our of 10 sells for almost $3000. Imagine that. Of course most collectors don't personally know the sports heroes they collect. By definition, there is a market for these items simply because others value them too. But also there are publicly recorded stories of on field glory that drive the appreciation of the physical items.

Now, think how much meaningful memorabilia there is your own family. Old photographs, legal papers, military records, report cards, deeds from the first home purchase or college degrees and diplomas. How do you put a price on those? More importantly, who will record the stories that go with those items?

LifeStory capture is vital and urgent. There is no ESPN or NBC to record the stories that define you and your family. That is up to you.