His hand reached down and touched the rose on the empty seat next to him.....
His daughter, Sara Tompkins, had just walked up to the podium......
Her blue eyes beamed, her smile was broad, her teeth glistened.....
Her blonde hair flowed from beneath her graduation cap, to her shoulders and her gown.....
She set her notes on the podium, looked out over the crowd, and began....
”Dear Sutherland Class of 2011, parents, family, and friends,....”
“Principal Patterson, Sutherland Faculty, Staff, and Alumni.....”
“Today, as the 2011 Valedictorian, I will call this speech,
'Your Legacy Starts NOW!’”
“As we leave this school today, our “Legacy” as a student stops today!!”
“Unless we were ‘State Champions’ and a trophy is on display in the hall.....”
“A year from now, FEW people will even remember that you were even here!!”
“The only TRUE ‘Legacy” you can have is through the family you are a part of......”
“And the family that someday, YOU will create with your spouse!!”
“Seventeen plus years ago, my Mom set forth a ‘Legacy” that impacts ME.....”
“Even to this day........and after what I received this morning, today as well!!”
“For those of you that do not know, when my Mom was pregnant with me.....”
“She had become very ill, tests revealed she had a severe cancerous tumor.....”
“Being pregnant, there was no treatment available for her......”
“Some doctors tried to encourage her to terminate the pregnancy......”
“BUT, they could NOT guarantee that she would still survive.....”
“She decided quickly, to carry ME to term, so that ONE life will be spared.....”
“My Mom died, holding me in her arms when I was barely four months old!!!”
“My Dad, though grieved by the loss of his wife, cared for me like NO OTHER Dad would!!”
She glanced, lovingly, at her Dad, seated in the front row......he smiled back to her!!
”He took care of me, helped me when I was sick, taught me things, hugged me.....”
“Loved me when I was bad, Praised me when I did good, helped me with my homework....”
“Took me to sports, summer camp, and is ALWAYS my biggest FAN!!!”
“I LOVE my Dad......but today, I want to tell you about my MOM!!!”
“As soon as my Mom knew she was sick, she started journaling......”
“Everything that happened to her, how she felt, her thoughts about her pregnancy!”
“She even wrote a journal to ME as I was inside her.......and continued once I was born....”
“She wrote as much as she could, each day, and wrote as long as she had the energy to write!!”
“She wrote her dreams for me, her hopes for me, and what God told her about me!!”
“The thing that touches my heart the most.......is what I want to share with you now...”
“She wrote a letter to me, for each year, and put it into a Birthday card......”
“Until I could read by myself, my Dad would read them to me......”
“I still have them all.......and read them frequently......they mean ALOT to me!!”
“For my tenth Birthday, she writes......”
“Dear Sara, Today you turn 10. You must be a big girl by now......”
“I picture you with your blonde hair in pigtails, I sure hope your Dad has learned......”
“How to do those ‘Special’ things for your hair to keep you his ‘Little Princess’.....”
“You should have a tooth or two still missing......but you are still pretty......”
“Give your Dad a BIG HUG, tell him it is from ME......he will give YOU one back!!”
“Smile pretty for the pictures, YOU are Special...........................Love, Mom!!”
“For my fifteenth Birthday, she shared an important secret......”
“Dear Sara, At 15, you are becoming a little Lady, I hope the boys are behaving......”
“I started a journal the day you were born.......for YOUR Husband......”
“Words of Wisdom, Words of Love, and Words of Advice that I would share.....”
“If I was to be there with you when your Wedding Day comes......”
“Your Dad has it, and will give it to your future husband, when you become engaged!”
“I want YOU to start a journal for him as well, NOW, to tell him your dreams.....”
“Your Loves, Your desires, What frightens YOU, and What comforts YOU!!”
“It will become a VALUABLE asset for your future marriage!!”
“Give your Dad a BIG HUG, tell him it is from ME......he will give YOU one back!!”
“Have a GREAT Birthday!!.............................. Love, Mom”
“Dear Sara, Today you turn a ‘Sweet 16’ and soon can start learning how to drive.....”
“I did not have my license when we got married, so your Dad taught ME.......”
“He has LOTS of patience and will teach you as well as he did ME!!!”
“Last year, I asked you to start a journal for your future husband......”
“This year, I would like to see you start one for your future children!!”
“Tell them what type of Mother you hope to be.....sure wish I was a better example!!”
“Share with them about your childhood, so they see you are just like them.....”
“Tell them how much you LOVE them NOW.......and WILL love them in the future!!”
“If you put it in writing, it’ll be easier to follow as well!!”
“Give your Dad a BIG HUG, tell him it is from ME......he will give YOU one back!!”
“Drive careful, Sara! Obey Dad’s rules about the car!....................... Love, Mom”
Sara looked around the crowd, everyone was intently listening to her every word.....
Some eyes were moist, some hands were wiping tears, everyone was silent......
She continued.........
”My Mom wrote out her Legacy, because she could not SHOW ME her Legacy.....”
“Nobody in this auditorium knows when their days on this Earth will end.....”
“My Mom didn’t.......so she used as much time as she could to write it down!!”
“May I encourage ALL of YOU to start something today......”
“For your future spouse, your future children, and for your current family members.....”
“Write about what you have done so far in your life, what you have accomplished.....”
“The broken bones, the bruises, the games won, the games lost......”
“Your first Love, what makes you happy, what makes you sad, why you cry......”
“Write to your future spouse......what you hope and dream about for marriage......”
“Write to your future kids, how many you want, what you dream for them......”
“Put YOUR Legacy in writing........and start it today!!!”
“I will close with TODAY’S card!!!
“Dear Sara........Today you are graduating High School, on to college, I hope.......”
“Congratulations on your accomplishments AND for being Valedictorian!!!”
“If there is ONE thing GOD told me about YOUR future, it IS about today!!”
“I asked your Dad to set an empty seat next to him, so I can be here too......”
Sara’s eyes look down towards her Dad......the entire crowd looks that way too!!
Next to him is an empty seat with a single yellow rose placed on it......
Jerry Tompkins wipes a tear from his eye with his handkerchief.....
His daughter smiles at him......he smiles back......Sara swallows hard, and continues.....
”I am so proud of you, Sara......you are quite a Lady.....”
“Follow your dreams, follow your Hopes, follow your Desires............”
“You will find true love when it is time to......don’t rush it!!”
“You have a GREAT foundation built under you, you will stand strong......”
“In ALL trials, ALL tribulations, ALL struggles, and in ALL pain....”
“LOVE those that NEED your LOVE.....care for those that need care too!!”
“You are NO LONGER my little baby......YOU are a young woman!!”
“Go out and conquer the World.....it is at YOUR doorstep!!
“I am ever so PROUD of YOU today Sara......your Dad has a hug for YOU.....”
“One is from HIM......another is from ME.......give him one from ME too!!”
“Have a GREAT celebration today!! Be safe!!.....................Love, Mom!!”
Sara did not see her Dad leave his seat and walk towards the stage......
A single yellow rose in his hand......he was standing behind her..........
Over her right shoulder.....before she caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye....
Sara took her right hand and wiped a tear from her cheek and wrapped it up with this......
”Class of 2011......as you head off to college, the military, or a job......”
“Plan ahead, write down your goals, your dreams, your desires, and fears.....”
“Save them for your future family......but DO write them down!!”
“If you need any help on getting started, just ask ME!!”
“Six months down the road, you are trying to remember what it is that I said......”
“Just write down these four words RIGHT NOW, so you can remember.........”
”DEAR.............SARA...................LOVE.................MOM!!”
Tears were rolling down Sara’s cheeks, she turned towards her Dad......
He handed her the yellow rose and they hugged......
Her graduation cap fell to the floor.....
The Class of 2011 and the entire crowd rose to their feet in a LOUD round of applause......
Very few had a dry eye......even the Principal and staff on stage were wiping away tears.....
Sara shared from her heart.......and her Mom’s heart......and touched MANY!!!
Where is YOUR “Legacy” today??? What have YOU written down???
There is no better day than TODAY to write it down.....
Your dreams, desires, hopes, and fears.......others NEED to know!!
Already married?? Already have kids??
All the MORE reason to get it started......TODAY!!
I am pretty sure, YOU can figure out what you need to write.....
Start small, build up to more......it’ll come to YOU.....
It doesn’t have to be perfect......it just has to be done!!
HARD COPY OF THIS STORY AVAILABLE HERE
I AM........JASON NAGEL
Call or text: 585-202-3333
Email: Jason@JasonNagel.com
