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Chair’s Corner: In Our Family …

Woman's hand holding beautiful heart up to the sky.

Did you know that August is National Legacy Month? It’s important to think about legacy and act on it. Too often, we don’t address stories, memories, and decisions about possessions until it’s too late. Our loved ones are left to wonder … or worse—to wish they knew, to wish they had asked, knowing they no longer have that opportunity.

In this issue of AgeWise King County, you’ll read Rebecca Crichton’s article that discusses the knowledge and information that you hope will outlive you. Another type of legacy is the example we set for our family and friends. I’d like to think that I will be remembered, among other things, for service to my community. Some of that history can be recorded, as Rebecca points out, but some of your legacy comes from actions, not words. Often, this translates into something like this: “In our family, we care about getting a good education.” “In our family, we volunteer in the community.” “In our family, we watch out for our neighbors.”

One of the best things you can do to set an example for everyone you know, younger and older, is to vote. A large percentage of older adults do vote, but we don’t always share that information with others. Somehow, we need to change the conversation about elections in this country to make it clear that every vote really does count.

Tuesday, August 7, is Primary Election Day in Washington State. If you missed “Voting: A Sacred Obligation” in our June issue of AgeWise, please read it now. You’ll find links for all sorts of information that can help you and others vote.

What’s at stake? By the time you read this, if you are registered to vote, you should have received your primary election ballot in the mail. Open it and you’ll see that you can vote for a candidate for U.S. Senate and for a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in your Congressional district. Nationwide, 470 seats in Congress are up for election in November. State legislative seats are also on this year’s primary election ballot as well as, in King County, one ballot measure.

Whether you like or dislike the way our state and this country is headed, your vote makes a difference. Vote and then shout it from the rooftop: “In our family, we vote!”


Contributor Ava Frisinger chairs the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services, which publishes AgeWise King County. She welcomes input from readers via e-mail (advisorychair@agewisekingcounty.org) as well as applicants for open positions on the council. For more information, visit www.agingkingcounty.org/advisory-council.

This article originally appeared in AgeWise King County (August 2018).