Family Legacies and Why We Defend Them

“We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.”
―Chuck Palahniuk,Diary

A legacy is a summation of all efforts exerted by a person or a group of persons such as a family for the accomplishment of something beneficial that can be passed on to the next generation. It is a bequest to a descendant from an ancestor. In a family, it forms part of a treasure wherein no definite price is tagged and the extent of its importance not being able to be fully quantified as to be readily understood by a mere onlooker.

A family legacy is personal in the sense that the intended beneficiaries are limited to those who will represent the continuance of the original purpose and related purposes, if any. In the general sense, all family members and the resulting relations should be entitled to it. However, there may be a need to qualify if there are those who will choose to work against its established essence. Worse are those who choose to deny rightful heirs their legacy for purposes that are clearly self-serving at best.

Beyond material wealth, a good reputation is considered a legacy of the ancestor to the descendant. This is more concretized when a business is built and a trade name is established and effectively garners goodwill of the public. This is more evident in families that have successfully connected their family name with the business name. When the two become synonymous with each other, there arises the big possibility of a true legacy.

My ancestors have established a legacy for our family through Ambos Mundos Restaurant. It has and will always be part of Philippine culinary history as one of the longest existing restaurants in the country. It has established its name specifically in Filipino and Spanish food in direct relation to the English translation of its name which is Two Worlds or Both Worlds. This of course refers to Spain and the Philippines by virtue of the two country's long-term relation because of colonization.

Sadly, this legacy is continually being threatened by people who chose to put self-interest over the interest of the family.

Anyone who considers something a legacy of their family should defend it. No one will do it for you. If you lose it without fighting for it, you have no one to blame but yourself. The road to defending a legacy can be very lonely at times, especially when there is no one else fighting by your side. I have often thought of giving up but my spirit won't let me. When my physical body is tired and my emotional senses have dulled, I am almost sure I would let go. And yet I surprise myself again and again for holding on, hoping that our family legacy will be restored to its rightful place soon.

We defend our family legacies because they are part of what defines us. No one can take it away unless we allow it. What we choose to do today will define our own legacy to our children and all the rest who will come after.