Legacy - Selma Alabama

Charles F. Vatterott pictured left, in line about to board a plane to Selma, AL

I've been thinking about legacy's this morning.

The kind that you are born into and the kind that you leave behind.

50 years ago my grandfather made it possible for an airplane full of nuns and priests to be apart of standing against inequality and marching for civil rights in Selma, Alabama.  

Growing up I was told stories about my grandfather's involvement in the civil rights movement, but mostly I was told about his character. 

He was a family man who believed in putting God and his family first. 

He was an entrepreneur who built homes not for white or black people, but for families. He believed that having a large family was courageous and that it honored God. Actually, the more children you had, the less you had to pay for a home. 

He loved the game of golf and opened the first golf course in the midwest that allowed both blacks and whites to golf. He believed in equality especially when it came to education and helped start Cardinal Ritter High School in St. Louis. He believed in giving generously and he and his brother started the Vatterott Foundation, a charitable foundation that I am apart of today.

I'm not sure if Charlie realized at the time the weight of the legacy that he would leave behind, 

but it has left a lasting impact. 

I've always been impressed with his character and even more with his willingness to act on his convictions and beliefs. 

There are so many times that I sit back, instead of stand up for what is truly important. 

The biggest impact his legacy has left on me is the challenge to always stand for what is right and to act on my convictions and beliefs. 

He left pretty large shoes to fill. 

I hope that someday my legacy leaves such a lasting impact.