Are there celebrations or traditions that your family is known for? What about daily habits? Are there everyday things that you do that are part of who you are? What are your hobbies or likes that people associate with you?

Acts of service we do for others live on past the moment—they ripple and echo. This includes serving our own family as well as others. What do you define as “service?” Do you value service? Is it a value you’d like to pass on to your children? What actions do you take that are centered on service?

(Note: if service is a new term for you, spend some time today looking it up and talking about it with friends and family. A lot of folks are raised to think of service as something like a server in a restaurant, but it’s much more than a role or job. Service is a pillar of motherhood and worth the extra effort to understand. There is a lot of peace to be found in understanding what it means to serve others).

Mothers are the memory keepers of the home. Those aren’t just photo albums or scrapbooks you’re putting together, they are your family’s history, a collection of memories that will be cherished for generations to come. The time that you put into creating them is valuable.

Have you ever wanted to create more albums or home movies for your family? Have you created some? If so, what was your favorite part about putting them together? If not, what is keeping you from spending time on that kind of project? If scrapbooks and baby books aren’t your thing, what other methods of memory keeping do you use? Would you like to make it a priority? If so, how could you make time for it?

There is no doubt that love and kindness are worth being known for—now and when we are gone. They are the building blocks of family. They are the main ingredients in motherhood.

Who in your life is known for love and kindness? Spend a few moments writing about that person. Are you known for love and kindness? Is it an area you’d like to actively focus on more in your own life? Do you value love and kindness? If so, how do you express those values? Are they values you would like to pass on to your children?

If you were to describe your family to a stranger right now, what would you say? What is your family known for? What values do you hold strongly? Take a few moments to write about it.

What stories from your family’s past have lived on for generations? Are there any recent ones? What is your extended family “known” for? What are the origins of your last name? Your maiden name, other names in your family tree, etc.? Spend a few moments today writing about your family history and what stories/ideals you would consider to be part of your larger family’s legacy.

What are you known for? Right now, as you are…what are you known for? If you were to describe you and your living legacy, what words would you use? What values would you describe? Reflect and write down your answers.