I had one of those conversations last night with my daughter that when they end, you think to yourself, I will remember this always.  It was one of those spontaneous discussions that happens when you just make yourself available to listen.  I was actually taking a hot bubble bath, soaking my sore muscles from a long bike ride.  I was relaxed, content and confined to one place with nowhere to go and no desire to leave.  (That may be one of the best descriptions of the mindset we need to be in when we spend time with our kids or mates or partners, no?)

Anyway, she sat on the floor by the bathtub and told me about her day.  She said it really bothered her that as she was talking about Steve Jobs death, several kids asked her who Steve Jobs was.  She was stunned.  How could someone of her generation NOT know Steve Jobs? 

She went on to describe a presentation the head of the athletics department at her school made about the importance of sports.  She said the very same people who did not know Steve Jobs could probably name every quarterback on the NFL roster.

I told her welcome to the real world--where people decide and divide around interests and values that matter to them.  In our family, we value creativity, curiosity, intellect and character.  Being healthy is important, but not worthy of worship.

Now, this article is not about bashing sports or deifying Steve Jobs.  It is about the lessons we teach our kids about the values they should have and the ones they should admire in others.

We proceeded to have a fantastic conversation about Steve Jobs, his legacy, his challenges, his impact on our individual lives--all while listening to music play on my iPod with our iPhones and my iPad nearby.  We talked about how he was able to use technology to both connect and divide.  How he made the "i" in his product names mean more than a clever identity element--it meant individual--mine--unique to me.

She said what amazed her was his ability to mass produce individual happiness. How each of the devices--and in our family, we  have nearly every device he created--are unique to us--and yet we connect to each other and the world through them.  And ultimately, how happy it made her to be unique yet not alone.

Wow.  Out of the mouths of babes.  

So as you consider the legacy a man like Steve Jobs left to the world, ask yourself what legacy you are leaving to your little world.  What priorities are your imprinting on your kids?  What people are you holding up as heroes intentionally or not?  Will you leave this world better for having been here?  Will they?  

Steve would be proud of us for thinking along these lines and for living out our answers.