Writing for Legacy

My father considered himself an ordinary man. But to me, and my five siblings, whom he raised alone following my mother’s premature death, he was nothing short of extraordinary. As a member of what Tom Brokaw christened the “Greatest Generation,” my father, a World War II vet, never talked about himself. So, naturally he wouldn’t approve of me talking about him now–much less writing about him.

But that’s exactly what I’ve been doing since his death from Alzheimer’s disease eight years ago. I’m writing about how this ordinary man etched an indelible mark on, at the very least, his six children and eleven grandchildren. How am I doing it? Well, one way is I’m watching for opportunities in publications that are, in essence, looking for snapshots of the life he lived.

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So, for example, when the editors at Chicken Soup for the Soul send me a story call-out for stories about “what makes America great” for a new book entitled, The Spirit of America, I responded with an article about the men and women in our Armed Forces that protected this country in World War II. And, I told my father’s story of service as a U.S. Marine serving in the South Pacific and later stationed in Iwo Jima.

The story is entitled, A Devotion to Duty, and the book was recently published and released nationwide in early June. The book is intended, in part, to commemorate, the 15^th Anniversary of 9/11 today. The story focuses on why the men and women of the “Greatest Generation” so willingly volunteered to serve their country at one of the most tumultuous times in our history.

Many of the articles and stories I write these days celebrate the quiet legacy of integrity and devotion my father demonstrated to his country, his wife and his children.

Do you want to write for legacy? Do you have someone you want to honor? Consider checking out the Chicken Soup for the Soul website. There you will learn about new books you can write for, the type of stories the editors are looking for to include in their anthologies and precisely how to submit your stories.

Most importantly, you just might find a home to publish a story you’ve wanted to tell that will not only engage their readers; it will honor the legacy of someone you love.

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