The Legacy Ijeoma - Live, Love, Learn, The Legacy – January 12th 1973 – June 3rd 2012 Many people live, but not many will leave a Legacy... I heard this statement in a movie last week and it became clear how Ijeoma would like to be remembered 10 years on. The time leading to this day has been a deep time of reflection for me, not just of her, but of life. So much has happened in the last few years and we have lost so many of our loved ones. The impact of Covid is still with us and I am sure this has given cause for deep reflection for many, so what better time to reflect on these four words - Live, Love, Learn, Legacy as I remember Ije… These were the words that defined Ije’s life when she was here and this was how I believe she wanted to be remembered and most importantly how she will like us all to live our lives. We did not pluck these four words out of the sky or copy it from anywhere… Let me share the story of how we came about these words. When the Dana plane crash happened in 2012, and many friends came to support and share their condolences, it became a time of people sharing stories of how they met Ijeoma and what she meant to them. All the stories sounded similar in the sense of how she touched people’s lives, the relationships they had with her and impact she had on them. During these visits I started to write down these memories in my journal as I reflected after each day of what people said about her. Some days later I looked at all the stories and the theme words that came through from all people were sharing was these four words… Live, Love, Learn, Legacy. I wrote it down and it became clear how we were going to print the cover of her brochure… Now, this story does not end here, about two days after this, I pulled out some of her journals and as I was still trying to look for clues on if she knew her time was coming to an end… and as I read through one of her journals suddenly a very old letter dropped out from within and it was a letter from mum to her, written years ago (1998) when Ije lived in the UK. I read the letter and laughed at all the warnings my mum was sending to her all the way from Lagos to London… but I was yet to see something that nobody can explain to me till today…as I folded the letter, I saw written on the back of the letter in Ije’s writing these four words… Live, Love, Learn, Legacy… I froze, to say I was not in shock is an understatement... how could this be?.. How could I have come up with four words I felt defined her life from my experience of her and the many stories her friends told of her and even print it on her brochure and 2 days later find it written in her very own hand writing all the way back in 1998. This only happens in movies, but guess what this was real life… God had just sent me a clear message that He is in this matter and she is with Him now…He had taken His daughter home even if it seemed early… He was confirming to me that she had fulfilled her destiny and Lived, Loved, Learnt and Left her Legacy just the way He instructed. Back to my story… …When I saw these words in her own hand writing it meant she had made a decision way back in time to live her life with these values. She never shared this with me or anyone but years later when she passed on, people testified to her life of impact in these four words… The best part for me was how she left that little clue for me to find and confirm to me that she had indeed Lived, Loved, Learnt and Left Her Legacy… It’s your turn now… My Reflection Today: • Live - she lived her life unapologetically and was ready to fight for what she believed in… she must always get to the bottom of a matter…Little did we know that she had little time so she had to sort life issues out very quickly…lol • Love - she loved life and lived it to the fullest, she loved God, her family, friends, people, fun, fashion... hmmm she was a fashionista and infact, 2 years before she passed, she started wearing all her clothes and taking as many pictures as she could…now we know why! • Learn - Ijeoma loved to learn and was always quick to advise…infact, we called her chief adviser as she was always on her phone advising one person or another… • The Legacy - this is the interesting point because this is about what we remember her for, and each of us have our own different stories of her life of impact. The biggest Legacy for me is her constant message of us all living a life of purpose. If you know Ije, you will know she was that cheer leader on the side-lines shouting encouragement to you – (Chief Adviser, Chief Supporter - if you know you know) Moving forward: So, every year since then when this time comes around, I have many emotions and it was only this year it made sense of how she really wants to be remembered. Not in pain because she is having fun in Heaven ... but for how she Lived, Loved, Learnt and The Legacy… I finally realised that memorials are a time to remember the joy and impact they left behind and not a time to relive the pain. When we celebrate Jesus, we celebrate the victory we have through his birth and death and this gives us great joy. So today I would like us to put a spin on any kind of pain you may feel for any loved one you may have lost and count it all Joy - James 1:2 What next… The people that have gone have gone, their time is up and it becomes about the legacy they left behind and where they will end up... the question now is for us that are left behind. What will be our legacy and where will we end up... for as long as we have life, we must make it count... On a day like today it will be great to remember Ijeoma for the quality time spent with her... and the comfort we can give ourselves or anyone who has lost someone close is when we hear stories of the impact they left behind... What Legacy would you live behind? Make your life count for something.