I Am My Father's Legacy

Good morning!

I want to start out by stating that I am often inspired to write based on what I hear...I may hear someone speak a phrase or state an idea and I think to myself about what it is they are really saying. Sometimes I may be off base on their meaning but I can only offer my own take and will hope that you enjoy reading it.


So what was it that I heard lately? In a discussion about Martin Luther King, Jr's legacy, someone made a comment about hoping Dr. King's Legacy will be passed on to a grandson, though there is only a granddaughter at this present time. I think every women in the room gasped a little at the thought of legacies not being passed on from fathers to daughters. I know I gasped because I am the oldest of three daughters. In fact, my little sister was my father's "last hope" for a son. While my mother was pregnant, people would see her with my sister and I and ask us didn't we want a little brother because my parents already had "two gorgeous girls." I find that question funny now because adults weren't really asking us what we wanted, yet they were telling us what they thought we should want...furthermore devaluing us because we were the "weaker gender."


I never agreed with them and always answered with a firm, "No." I now know that my answers were always based on previous expereiences with the brothers of my friends. They always seemed so bossy and mean and I guess I figured I had one daddy and I didn't need another. So really as an eleven year old I had no real reason to not want a brother, I think I didn't understand why others wanted me to want a brother. Maybe I did know that they saw no use in my dad having all girls and no boys. Maybe they saw it the same way my colleague did, that my dad's legacy would die with us. Another memory comes to mind...after the birth of my little sister I began to think about the fact that out of all my grandmother's sons, my dad was the only one who carried her maiden name, Borum. I had five uncles and none of them carried the Borum name. What would happen with our name? Who would carry on the name? It would have to be my responsiblity as the oldest. I would courageously sacrifice my honor and bare a manchild out of wedlock and name him Daniel William Borum for my daddy. (chuckle)


I look back on those moments when my little light bulb thought it had the answers to something so trivial. First, that I was so sure of my honor as a woman at the age of 13. I believed it would not be really accepted by my parents, but I would do this for them because I loved our family so much. Second, wondering why I thought I had to be the one to save our family name. Or that it even needed to be saved.

I am my father's legacy. I am not perfect, but I know that the values of my parents have been instilled in me. I am an educated respectable woman. I believe where I am so far in my young life is a place for my father to be proud of and to be rest assured that his legacy will live on through me and my sisters. Would it have been nice to have a brother to do the yard work I tried so hard to get out of? Well yeah, but it is what it is and today I'm a stronger woman for it.

Peace, Detroit Luv & Soooooul!