Food for Thought: What is Your Legacy?

The falling of leaves ushers in warm fires and two months of holiday cheer with friends and family, some still with us, others lingering through our memories. Since my mother’s passing three years ago, the holidays have taken on a different meaning. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of Suzy Q , but during the holiday season her spirit is especially alive as we carry on the traditions she started many years ago when she was a young mom establishing a new family. 

Memories of her fill the pages of the Southern Living cookbook collection she started in 1979, and the crumpled, food-stained, handwritten recipes stuffed in between the pages. Her legacy of creating a joyous and music-filled holiday atmosphere is alive and well as my daughters pick up the torch by adding their own new flavor influences to our Thanksgiving tradition, often declaring “Nonnie would have loved this!” 

I feel our work in creating the pages of Edible Louisville & the Bluegrass is building a legacy. Our writers share food stories and recipes that have been handed down through the generations. The ways of many families, many traditions, simmer together in these pages. As readers and cooks, we all become the beneficiaries of this rich legacy. Considering the reach of our local print magazine, the vast web exposure of the Edible Communities network and the never-ending ripple effect of social media, those legacies reach tens of thousands of people. That’s touching a lot of lives! 

In our region, legacy is synonymous with distilling. Jeptha Creed Distillery is a family affair and legacy in the making. With the motto “Don’t Forget Where You Came From” and their deep roots in farming and process engineering, the Nethery family has combined their Kentucky and Scottish roots to form a business and entertainment destination with concerts, classes and farm-to-table dinners. 

Whether it’s spreading kindness to those around us, volunteering with a nonprofit or serving as a CEO, opportunities abound to make a lasting impact in this world. As you enter this time of merrymaking, and long after, I hope you will devote time to thinking about the state of your legacy. Who comes to mind when you consider people whose legacies have left a positive mark on your life? Whose lives are you touching now in ways that will leave a positive influence? 

May your holidays and New Year include good recipes, good cheer and legacy-building memories with those you love. 

Ann Curtis, Managing Editor