Because we know the value of journaling at GateWay, we are always looking for new ways to express ourselves and help the women we serve move toward wholeness.

One of our recent finds is the topic of the Ethical Will.
legacy letter w-purple flowers

Also called Legacy Letters, these are a way of recording the experiences you have lived through and the values you want to share with those to come.

They preserve your wisdom, your knowledge, your failures and successes in a way that passes on hope for future generations.

In his book, “Healthy Aging,” Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, writes, “The ethical will is pertinent to those of us concerned with making sense of our lives and the fact of our aging.”

Anyone can write an Ethical Will, a Legacy Letter. You don’t have to be in the aging population.

You just need some sort of knowledge and growth in the past in order to share something of value.

While you are leaving a valued document for others to read and appreciate, you are also documenting a piece of your story.

And in the process, you can learn more about yourself and your own journey toward wholeness.

These Legacy Letters are, in a way, similar to the Biblical blessings left by patriarchs for their children and grandchildren. An example is in Deuteronomy 32-33 where Moses details the majesty of God and how he brought the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful project for you to explain how God has brought you out of emotional bondage and into a place of freedom and wholeness?

So think about how you might like to begin your Legacy Letter. And if you need a boost, we’ll be offering a “Journaling Toward Wholeness” class this October, 2015. We’d love to have you join us.

©2015 GateWay of Hope – The Helping Place for Hurting Women