A Legacy of Honor: Telling Our Family Stories

by Marilynn Chadwick

Daddy happens to be one of the few remaining World War II submarine veterans. He and my mom vividly remember the war—they don’t take our freedoms for granted. So growing up, neither did we. One of the ways they helped us appreciate our heritage was to tell lots of stories—especially stories about our family. I grew up hearing about Daddy’s submarine adventures in the South China Sea. And about rations and blackouts, or brave young friends who lost their lives in the war.

Mom and Dad were also proud of our family’s long history in this country dating back to before the Revolutionary War. Captain Simon Hunt, from Daddy’s mother’s side, was one of the original 80 minutemen who fought the British in the famous battle on the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. It was on that bridge that the “shot heard round the world” signaled the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Our youngest, Michael Hunt Chadwick, loved hearing his grandparents’ stories of the Hunt family and his namesake.

Looking back over my life, I can also see how Mom and Dad’s values quietly shaped my own. They grew up in the South back in the day before the Civil Rights movement had ushered in change. They didn’t talk much about racism, but they lived a life that spoke volumes to me. I watched how they lived. To them, all people mattered. Everyone had worth. Everyone was equal. And all were welcome in our home. Black. White. Old money, new money, or no money. They treated everybody the same, and their simple, as well as honorable, example spoke louder than any sermon.

This is another telltale sign of honor. The quiet, unspoken, consistent lifestyle that points to prioritizing others above yourself.

Honor is established through testimony. As you share stories of honor and examples of honor, it becomes real to other people and they are able to emulate it as well.

I am thankful for my family’s stories that gave me a roadmap for how to continue to establish honor in my life as well, with my husband and with everyone around me.

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This series is adapted from the book, 8 Great Ways to Honor Your Husband by Marilynn Chadwick. To download your free PDF copy of this book, please visit our website by clicking here!