The Legacies We Leave Behind

Legacy is the foundation of our present, built upon the events, actions, and circumstances of the past. It has a powerful influence on future generations because of the essential guidance, strong values, and inspiration it provides. 

It is a chain of events that follows through family traditions, philanthropic efforts, and one’s contributions to society. Legacies build cultures, and cultures build histories, a connection that cannot be underestimated.

Oprah Winfrey built a school in South Africa and believed it would be her legacy. When she shared this with her mentor, Maya Angelou, Maya cautioned her that she had yet to know what her legacy would look like. 

Instead, she advised Oprah to focus on doing her best today and let the legacy develop over time.

This brings us to the importance of the universal fact that legacy is less about what we intentionally create and more about the cumulative impact of our actions over time. 

While some, like Oprah, aim to define their legacy through monumental contributions, others leave legacies more quietly for their families, inspiring their lives through lightheartedness, courage, and consistency.

Nell Cahn’s memoir, You Can’t Make It Up, lives up to this universal tradition. 

Cahn’s family, the Kaplans’, migrated from Kyiv to America to escape a life of hardship in early 20th-century Russia. They settled in Monroe, Louisiana, where they utilized their entrepreneurial skills to build a prosperous new life. From pushcarts to property investments, Nell Cahn’s family’s journey reflects grit and foresight.

Her grandfather’s advice to invest wisely in property and resources and her mother’s insistence on honesty and character remind us that a legacy often takes root in the values and lessons we pass on, not just grand accomplishments.

Legacy Isn’t Only About the Far-Off Future; It’s Alive in How We Live Each Day. 

The relationships we nurture, the communities we build, and the principles we uphold create an impact that extends far beyond our own lifetimes. Whether it’s teaching the importance of honesty and compassion, as Cahn’s mother did, or simply sharing joyful memories that comfort and guide future generations, legacy is built moment by moment.

Nell Cahn’s memoir, You Can’t Make It Up, preserves her family’s heritage through storytelling so that future generations can connect with their roots and learn from the past. She tells us how her family helped build a supportive community through charitable work and entrepreneurship. 

The entrepreneurial success of Nell’s family. Such as Max Kaplan’s ventures in scrap metal and oil or Uncle Joe’s establishment of “Dixie Bedding and Furniture,” exemplifies a legacy of innovation and determination. Nell inherited and championed this entrepreneurial mindset with her “can-do” attitude, showing how resourcefulness and hard work could lead to fulfilling your dreams.

Why it matters: Stories connect generations and preserve cultural identity. By writing her family’s history, Nell created a bridge between the past and the future. 

And now she shares it with the world through her book, You Can’t Make It Up.