A Former President's Legacy Jimmy Carter

 There are many questions and not enough time to answer them all.  The rest of this post is from Ms Ledbetter who wrote this for the Tribune News Service that was picked by the Miami Herald.

For those who do retire, many find it’s not enough to play pickleball, travel and spend time with the grandchildren. Because eventually, the sands of time feel like hail drops, and at some point, we’re all awaiting the final diagnosis. If you believe the final act is the last chance to leave a legacy, look to former President Jimmy Carter for a master class in aging with purpose, dignity and humility.

Indeed, his post-presidential life was more successful than his presidency. After facing international challenges such as the Iran hostage crisis and domestic difficulties including inflation, he and Rosalynn left Washington in 1981 to return to their home in Plains, Georgia.

Instead of accepting lucrative speaking gigs to enrich himself, he quietly championed the causes he cared about.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, built homes with Habitat for Humanity and established the Carter Center to advance human rights. He wrote at least 30 books and taught Sunday school until 2020 at the Maranatha Baptist Church.

Now 99, he is in hospice, having ended medical intervention for cancer.

“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. … My faith requires that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter said. And that is exactly how he lived his life.

In these troubled times, and certainly in the campaign days ahead, it may help to meditate on his quote.

Faith, service, making a difference. A mantra to grow old by.