I spent this last weekend in Galveston Texas on a family reunion. On my wife's side (the Russell family) they get together every two years to celebrate their Russell heritage. My father-in-law, Tom, has three brothers, Al, Bob and Bill. Each of the four brothers take turn hosting the family reunion, since each live in different cities. This year it was the eldest brother, Al's turn. Living in Houston, Al arranged for the reunion to be on Galveston Island, just about an hour south of Houston.
The accommodations were very nice. We rented two, 2 story houses to accommodate everyone, only about 3 blocks from the Gulf. Each house had a large covered porch for enjoying the gulf breezes. Our family stayed on the 2nd floor, which had a very nice view.
No matter which brother is the host for the event, there is always time set aside for reminiscing about growing up. The history of the Russell family goes back many years.
When their mother (Annabel Russell) passed away in 2005, the brothers divided up her possessions among the family. Some belonged to Annabel and some belonged to their father Wade's mother, Annie Lee Spain, who was born August 26, 1882. Everyone knew Annie Lee as “Granny”. Granny passed away on October 14, 1970.
Tom brought something to share with the family that he apparently discovered in his attic. He found a small, paper notebook titled “Hogarth” Drawing Tablet. It’s what appears to be an art class project of Granny’s dated November 2, 1895. It contained penciled drawings of small animals, a calendar, and other simple sketches. This is the first true “artifact” that I have seen from Granny herself. Until now, I had only heard about things through conversations at the reunions.
My 17 year old daughter, Mandy, found this piece simply amazing! Not because of its incredible art work or its amazing quality, but merely because it was 100 years older than her. She was born in 1995. The fact that she was holding something in her hand that was created by an ancestor of hers over a century ago is what astonished her.
This reminds me that you never really know how something you do or say can impact others, either intended to or not. And, you may never even know about the impact that it had. What might seem trivial and not important to you might be significant to others, even someone that you have never met. You never know the impact that you could have. This is not only true in your personal life but also true in your business.
Reflect back on the mentors in your life and consider the impacts that they had. What did they do in particular that had an impact on you? What are some things that you have done that could have an affirmative impact on others? What's significant to you?
