250 Candles and a Lot of Missing Paperwork

Next week, America turns 250.

My mother would have lost her mind over this. She was the most patriotic person I’ve ever known — full red, white, and blue outfit, probably a flag pin or three, toasting the birthday of a country she genuinely adored. She would have made it a whole thing. I love that about her.

It’s got me thinking about legacy. Specifically, the Founders’ obsession with it.

These were people who wrote everything down. Wills. Letters. Declarations. They were so committed to leaving a record that we’re still arguing about their intentions 250 years later. Say what you want about the 18th century — those people were organized.

Meanwhile, most Americans today cannot locate their insurance policy. Or their car title. Or the password to anything.

The Founders weren’t just building a country. They were building something that would outlast them, and they knew it. So they documented. They planned. They made sure the people who came after them would know exactly what they meant and what they left behind.

You don’t have to write a Declaration. But getting your own legacy organized would be a start.

If you’ve been putting this off, consider this your 250-year nudge. Hit reply and tell me where you’re stuck — no judgement whatsoever..