Reflecting on the future legacies of millennials

Very few individuals nowadays would think of what legacy to leave the next generation. Our millennials are busy from all fronts. The “come what may” attitude: Gimmick for today, the trend for the week and the fashion for the month.

The more serious ones though would venture on inventions. Our millennials are geared toward robotics. And the computer geeks have invaded apps for gadgets adding to several software wizards we have worldwide.

Some have gone to the world of arts. We have many young actors, musicians, composers and they have even introduced new mediums for the visual arts. We can be very proud of most of our millennials. They are all busy from stage to theater. A few became volunteers for a good cause, like Gawad Kalinga, building houses for the less fortunate.

This is the ripe age to shine, although we have to consider that with early risers are also late bloomers. But both have the potential to grow and contribute to their respective communities. Generations to come will enjoy the legacy they leave behind after they are gone.

While visiting our dead relatives when we were teenagers, my cousin, who is good in mathematics, challenged me to compute the number of days a dead person had lived based on the two dates on the tombstone. Most of the time, she would win. Reflective now of the two dates, I wonder what kind of life those departed had. The dates were not even that important nor the number of years they had lived. The dash between the two dates represented what they did on earth as they walked through the valley of tears, so to speak.

Those born shortly after the second World War, tagged as “baby boomers,” were reputed to be disciplined and hardworking like their parents. Because of the devastation after the war, they learned to be patient and to scrimp and save. Senior citizens of today come from that generation. In comparison, millennials are the pampered generation.

Here is an interesting anecdote I would like to share to you as All Souls’ Day is nearing. As told by Jacob Braude: “Every person has three friends when Death calls and he must appear before the Creator. The friend he loves most is money, but it cannot go with him a single step. The second friend is his circle of relatives and neighbors. They can only accompany him to the graveside. In no way they can defend him before the Judge. The third friend is his list of good deeds done during life.”