I remembered her brief prayer the night before, expressing her thanks for the first part of her dream coming true, and I remembered the remainder of her dream, which had seemed unimaginable and unattainable, was simply to walk again.
I silently offered my own thanks to heaven for making the remainder of her dream come true.
As tears of joy streamed down everyone’s face, I was left with the inescapable conclusion that dreams are more powerful than a diagnosis, and love conquers all.
EIGHTEEN
The Ultimate Legacy
Who we are is a tribute to those who have left us a legacy.Who we help others become will be our legacy.
I was seated in the familiar chair behind my desk in the corner office of the ornate law building of Hamilton, Hamilton & Hamilton. I gazed across the room at my Wall of Fame, which held mementos that represented treasured memories from throughout my personal and professional life. There had been some new additions to the Wall of Fame recently, including Miss Stephanie’s portrait of Mickey Mouse on my invitation to accompany her to Disney World. This framed masterpiece was surrounded by a montage of photos that included Jason and Alexia standing arm in arm in front of the entrance to the Magic Kingdom; Hawthorne, a bit overdressed for an amusement park, standing beside Goofy; Oscar disembarking from his fourth ride into Space Mountain; Claudia sampling the baked goods and pastries prepared by Disney’s finest chefs; Miss Hastings and me on a leisurely boat ride on the lake; Gus, dressed up in his standard western garb, with one of the many tourists who assumed he was one of the attractions; and—in what has become my favorite photo on the entire Wall of Fame—Stephanie standing with both her family and Joey beside the one and only Mickey Mouse.
Stephanie still spent a significant amount of each day in her wheelchair, but day by day and step by step, she grew stronger. The doctors were astounded, and we all knew it was only a matter of time until she would be running, jumping, and playing like every seven-year-old in the world should.
Everyone was still enjoying the afterglow of the Disney World trip as we gathered for what would be our final formal breakfast meeting dealing with the lessons of legacy that had been left to Joey by his great-grandmother.
We all stood as the last breakfast guest walked into the room. It was Stephanie wearing her Mickey Mouse T-shirt and ears. I marveled at her attitude and the rapid recovery she had experienced since the Disney World trip.
Joey helped Stephanie with her chair, and everyone took their seats.
Breakfast was served by Claudia and enjoyed by everyone. I began the session by welcoming everyone to what would be the final official meeting regarding Joey’s legacy, which Miss Sally had planned for him.
I thanked Jason and, of course, his grandfather Red Stevens for making this odyssey possible. I thanked Hawthorne, Oscar, and Claudia for everything they had done throughout the proceedings, and I expressed my gratitude to Miss Hastings for her efforts on this project and everything she makes possible in my world.
Finally, I turned to Joey and stated for the record, “Joey, over the past months, throughout each of these lessons, I know there have been struggles and frustrations amidst the joy and triumph. I want to congratulate you for persevering to the end.
“Your great-grandmother did, indeed, prepare an amazing inheritance and wonderful legacy for you. The ordeal you have gone through was to ensure you were ready, willing, and able to receive the legacy, understand its value, and make it grow as a part of your own legacy.
“I believe I’ll let Miss Sally express it in her own words.”
I nodded to Hawthorne, who lowered the lights, and then Jason pushed Play on the remote control.
Miss Sally appeared on the video screen, seated at the conference table in my office. She appeared hopeful, if a bit tentative, as she began.
“Joey and my friends and loved ones gathered there, I want to thank and congratulate each of you on a successful journey. If you’re watching this video, which I hope and pray you are, it means that my life’s work and intentions for my legacy have not been in vain.
“Joey, in the coming days, Mr. Hamilton and his staff will be taking care of all the legal details involved with transferring the control of Anderson House to you. This will include everything on the property itself, as well as some significant reserve funds held in trust for the maintenance and further development of the property, along with special projects of your own in the future.
“By this time, I hope you have come to understand that Anderson House is more than just a bed-and-breakfast where people come. It is, instead, a place of healing, hope, and destiny. Throughout your life, it will continue to be a destination where people can come in order to become great, and great people can come to become greater.
“As you take over the leadership of Anderson House, you will deal with some of the most famous, successful, and prominent people of your generation. You will, also, deal with many common people who just want to make a difference in their own world. You will need to find the balance that will allow you to treat great people as if they were common, and common people as if they were great.
“You will need to always grow and learn, as Anderson House will be a reflection of your energy and spirit.
“I know my staff as well as or better than they know themselves, so I can virtually assure you that Hawthorne, Oscar, and Claudia, along with the rest of the staff, will be at your side every step of the way. You, no doubt, have also become aware of the fact that Mr. Hamilton and Miss Hastings are tremendous friends and allies that you can call on at any time.
“And, finally, I hope that you and Jason have somehow found the basis for a friendship, as you are, in a way, kindred spirits. The most daunting journey is made easier simply by traveling with another or drawing strength from those who have traveled before you.
“And if you ever need to talk with an old lady who loves you and cares about you, I’ll be waiting at the top of the hill.
“I leave you all with my thanks, my best wishes, and my love.”
I was so caught up in the moment that I was not ready for Miss Sally’s image to fade away. It had almost felt like she was in the room with us.
I turned to Joey, whose expression was etched with the emotion we all felt. I congratulated him again and confirmed Miss Sally’s assertion that he need only call on me anytime I could be of service to him or the work at Anderson House.
Before we adjourned for the last time, I offered Joey the chance to speak.
He rose to his feet and declared, “I want to thank each of you for helping me understand and become worthy of accepting my legacy. I also want to apologize to each of you for the disrespect I demonstrated throughout these months. I simply didn’t know what I didn’t know. I guess the root of all strife, disagreement, and evil is simple ignorance. There are times we just don’t know what we are doing to others around us.”
Joey reached for a box that was on the floor beside his chair and continued.
“As a small token of my thanks and on behalf of Anderson House and my great-grandmother, I would like you each to have a gift that I prepared for you.”
Joey had prepared identical plaques for everyone who had been on the Disney World trip. It showed the entrance to the park and had a poem etched across the image. It read:
Hold on to your dreams and stand tall,
Even when those around you
would force you to crawl.
Hold on to your dreams as a race you must run,
Even when reality whispers you’ll never be done.
Hold on to your dreams and wait for the magic to come,
Because on that magical day,
Your dreams and your reality will merge into one.
We all thanked Joey for the special gift, which we would each treasure for the rest of our lives.
Everyone exchanged hugs and well-wishes, and as Joey was saying his final good-byes, I inquired, “Son, I’m not familiar with the poet you immortalized here on my plaq
ue.”
I held the plaque in front of me.
Joey laughed heartily and declared, “That was actually written by a distant relative of Miss Sally’s.”
I was baffled, as I had never known that there was a poet in the Anderson family. I asked, “Who might that be?”
Joey stopped in the doorway and turned briefly, saying, “Oh, it was written by Sally May Anderson’s great-grandson. He’s discovering all kinds of new things about himself.”
As evening began to envelop the Anderson House grounds, I found myself beside Miss Sally’s grave. I felt a brief visit might provide closure to all that had gone before. I said what was on my mind and in my heart: “Well, old girl, I did my best. I know you would expect nothing more and accept nothing less. You can rest well, knowing that Anderson House is in good hands, and your legacy lives on.”
About the Author
In spite of blindness, Jim Stovall has been a National Olympic weightlifting champion, a successful investment broker, the president of the Emmy Award–winning Narrative Television Network, and a highly sought-after author and platform speaker. He has written forty books, including the bestseller The Ultimate Gift, which became a major motion picture from 20th Century Fox, starring James Garner and Abigail Breslin. Jim has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and USA Today, and has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, and CBS Evening News. He was also chosen as the International Humanitarian of the Year, joining Jimmy Carter, Nancy Reagan, and Mother Teresa as recipients of this honor.
Table of Contents
Cover
Half Title Page
Books by Jim Stovall
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Our Legacies
Introduction
1. Life and Death
2. Past, Present, and Future
3. The Bequest
4. The Meeting
5. The Inheritance
6. The Legacy of Work
7. The Legacy of Money
8. The Legacy of Friends
9. The Legacy of Learning
10. The Legacy of Problems
11. The Legacy of Family
12. The Legacy of Laughter
13. The Legacy of Dreams
14. The Legacy of Giving
15. The Legacy of Gratitude
16. The Legacy of a Day
17. The Legacy of Love
18. The Ultimate Legacy
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
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