Dusting off and firing up my grandmother’s vintage electric Sunbeam mixing bowl never had more meaning than now. Just six months ago, she moved from her home of more than fifty years into a convalescent home. And just a few weeks after her death at the height of this holiday season, her legacy and leadership lives on.
Only now I realize the significance of being entrusted with my grandmother’s coveted Sunbeam Mixmaster. As a child, I shared joy with cousins and other family enjoying all the delicious treats that emerged from that mixing bowl and Gramom’s kitchen. There were savory pies, delectable cakes, and some marvelous cookies that just melted in your mouth.
Who knew that her willingness to bake desserts for a special event, funeral, or family occasion would be part of her legacy as a community leader?
As I prepared for the holidays a few weeks ago, it did not occur to me to think of taking time in my busy schedule to share a homespun gift. Like a lot of other people, I was pondering what gift card or fancy sweater would be the perfect gift. Unfortunately, pop culture mandates and “all things commercial” have replaced heartfelt and homemade gifts in many of our communities. In the first place, gift exchange has replaced the true meaning of the Christmas holiday. Yet, I digress…
Whipping together a few holiday cookies for a child’s play date reminded me about what really matters. As I pulled my maternal grandmother’s classic butter cookie recipe from the card file, in turn, I assembled my paternal grandmother’s mixing bowl and cookie press. What an epiphany! I had already received the perfect holiday gifts from both of them.
The simplicity of baking cookies with a purpose based upon a historic series of gracious heartfelt hours in the kitchen meant that I will carry on a family tradition. More importantly, it means that the legacy of giving and servant leadership lives on.
Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
Great reminder of how legacies are established & carried on. The most lasting lessons are often the simplest.