Living and Leaving My Legacy, Volume II: A Legacy Journal by Merle R. Saferstein
“How we come into the world with nothing is how we go out. What we do in between is what makes the difference.”
This is just one of the many nuggets of astute wisdom found in Merle R. Saferstein’s Living and Leaving My Legacy: Volume II (Great Mother Press). In the second installment of her legacy project, Saferstein scoured hundreds of her personal journals encompassing decades of experiences in order to glean the perfect combination of insightful excerpts for future generations to enjoy.
As Sheryl Sandberg, New York Times bestseller and founder of organizations like OptionB and LeanIn, eloquently states in the book’s foreword, Saferstein sends these excerpts into the world with two goals in mind: “To help people see the power of writing down emotions, experiences, triumphs and heartaches,” and hoping that “by reading about her legacy, more people will begin to think and write about their own.”
Sharing Life Stories
Saferstein tackles a wide range of topics in her book, including relationships, end-of-life issues, writing, travel and world events, to name a few. She addresses these topics with a range of emotions — anger, empathy, sorrow, joy. She often uses a gentle touch, but as emotions rise at certain moments, an intense voice surfaces.
Perhaps her most impassioned segments — and rightfully so — come from the section dedicated to world events and headlines over the years. She says, “What surfaced for me in these excerpts was how often I questioned whether we would ever have peace in our world.” The prevalence of violence and hatred going back decades (especially towards the Black community) is frightening to see.
Saferstein’s reflections on the stories of Holocaust survivors was similarly harrowing. With over two decades worth of experience as a Holocaust educator, Saferstein has worked alongside many Holocaust survivors to help share their stories so that students learn the dangers of prejudice.
This section was especially heartbreaking to read, from stories of concentration camps and ghettos to those of children fleeing their homelands and witnessing brutal violence in the streets. However, a common thread was found throughout these stories which I think is nicely summed up in this survivor’s quote: “We were always hungry but never without hope.”
Writing Your Legacy
In someone else’s hands, this type of project may have read as dark and dismal, but Living and Leaving My Legacy is uplifting and leaves readers hopeful. Saferstein tackles some heavy topics in this book, especially in her section about end-of-life issues, but her approach is anything but pessimistic.
“My hospice work has a definite purpose — to teach me more about living. Mother Teresa felt her most meaningful work was with the dying because she considered life so important — life as an achievement with dying the end.”
In the end, that’s what Living and Leaving My Legacy is about — life.
Each chapter concludes with journaling prompts “to help readers discover — and rediscover — their own stories.” Readers can access helpful material in the back of the book as well, including a touching poem and ways to get started on their own legacy project. Saferstein uses her opening chapter to explain her own process of writing a legacy journal and encourages readers to try it themselves.
“I’ve learned some people run from the topic of legacy for fear it means facing their mortality. To me, it’s the opposite. Instead, I believe that legacy work helps us look at our lives, understand that all we have is this moment, and live each one as fully as possible.”
Merle R. Saferstein is an educator, speaker and author. She has been journaling since 1974 and has amassed a collection of 380 journals. After 26 years as a Holocaust educator, during which she helped hundreds of Holocaust survivors share their legacy of remembrance so that students could learn the dangers of prejudice, she retired and created Living and Leaving Your Legacy®.
Through classes, workshops, and lectures, she has guided thousands of people in sacred legacy work, writing and journaling for wellness and healing.
Her short story collection, Room 732, pays homage to the historic Hollywood Beach Hotel. Merle lives in Miami, Florida with her husband of fifty-five years and has two children and two granddaughters.
