Draft, Reflect & Check Your Understanding
The Legacy Room — Your Identity & Legacy
It Is Time to Write
You have explored The Legacy Room. You understand what a legacy statement is, why it matters, how the three pillars work, and where your statement will live once it is written.
Now comes the part that matters most: putting pen to paper. Or fingers to keyboard. Whatever feels right to you.
This is not a test. There is no perfect answer. The best legacy statements are honest, specific, and written from the gut -- not from a template. Trust yourself. You know your story better than anyone.
Exercise: Draft Your Legacy Statement
Using the three pillars -- History, Values, and Impact -- think through what a 3-5 sentence legacy statement might look like for your funeral home. Use the guided prompts below to shape your thinking.
Consider: How long have you served this community? What continuity do you represent? What would families lose if you were not here?
Example starter: "For [X] years, [Home Name] has stood alongside the families of [Community]..."
Consider: What standards do you hold when no one is watching? How does your team answer the phone at 2 AM? What would a family see if they observed your work for one day?
Example starter: "We believe every family deserves [principle], which is why we [specific action]..."
Consider: What community programs do you support? What do your neighbors say about you? How have you served families beyond the service itself?
Example starter: "From [community action] to [community action], we are not just in [Community] -- we are of it..."
Example Legacy Statement
"For three generations, Mitchell Family Funeral Home has walked alongside the families of Elm Creek -- through every loss, every celebration of life, and every quiet moment of remembrance. We answer every call with the same care we would want for our own family, because to us, every family is our family. From hosting grief support groups to sponsoring the community memorial garden, our presence in Elm Creek is not a business decision. It is who we are."
Notice how this statement weaves all three pillars -- history (three generations), values (same care for every family), and impact (grief groups, memorial garden) -- into a declaration that a family can feel, not just read.
Start With Truth
Remember: The best legacy statements are not polished marketing copy. They are honest declarations that come from knowing exactly who you are. Your first draft does not need to be perfect. It needs to be true. You can refine the language later -- what matters now is capturing the substance.
Reflection Prompt
If a family in your community read your legacy statement, what would you most want them to feel? Not think -- feel. Sit with that question for a moment. The answer reveals what matters most to you about the work you do, and it should be the emotional heartbeat of every word in your legacy statement.
Coaching Insight
The most effective legacy statements evoke feelings like safety, trust, and belonging -- not impressiveness or professionalism. If your answer centers on wanting families to feel known, held, or understood, you are on the right track.
The emotional core you identified should thread through every word of your legacy statement. It is not about sounding impressive. It is about sounding true to the feeling you want to create.
Carrying the Flame Forward
The legacy statement you have drafted today is not finished. It will evolve as you move through this program and as your understanding of your own strengths deepens. But you now have something powerful: a first draft of the words that define who you are.
Keep this draft close. In the modules ahead, as we explore empathy, the Family Service Counselor role, and the metrics that sustain your work, you will see how everything connects back to this statement. It is the flame at the center of the hearth, and every skill you build from here will be warmed by it.
Key Takeaways
Your legacy statement -- built on the three pillars of History, Values, and Impact -- is the foundation for everything your funeral home communicates and everything your team delivers. It is not a one-time exercise but a living declaration that shapes your website, your media presence, your staff's confidence, and the experience every family receives. Keep your draft close. The flame you have kindled here in The Legacy Room will light every chamber ahead.
The Three Pillars Recalled
What are the three pillars of a strong legacy statement?
First Draft Mindset
When drafting your legacy statement for the first time, what matters most?
A Living Document
How should you think about your legacy statement going forward in this program?