Marjorie Sue Steenbarger: Leaving Your Legacy

 

1/5/2026 - Margie Steenbarger, my wife of 42 years, passed away this weekend.  For me, it's been a tremendous loss and also an inspiration.  Family members have come from all over to be with each other and to celebrate her life.  We have been sharing photos and stories and have created a website where all our memories can be shared for years to come.  Leaving a legacy means leaving others with experiences and lessons that make everyone better.  A life well-lived is a life that keeps living even beyond our passing.  It lives on with those whose lives we have touched.

So what is the mark on the world that you will be leaving when your days come to an end?  How will you live on in ways that enrich the lives of others?  It's great to focus on P/L and the next set of trade ideas, but that will never build your legacy.  It is how we impact others that makes the mark that can't be erased.  

What are you doing right now that will make a positive difference later?

With Margie's passing, a close family has grown even closer and family members that were only loosely connected are now committed to one another.  That was Margie's legacy:  building lasting bonds--in the students she taught, in her family, and, yes, with me.  With her passing, I am committed to becoming a better bond-builder and crafting a legacy as meaningful and valuable as hers.

A saying in the Jewish religion is "May their memory be a blessing", taken from Proverbs 10:7 ("The memory of the righteous is blessed").  When we leave a positive legacy, we don't leave others with a sense of loss, but a sense of having been blessed.  

The legacy we build is the most important P/L of all.