The Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts is named for two benefactors — who never collected art of their own. The couple earned their fortune through lumber and coal but left their estate to construct a museum for the “most valuable, meritorious, artistic and high-class oil paintings obtainable.” Today, the galleries exhibit Monet, Degas, Renoir, and O’Keefe paintings — a collection that is often loaned to other museums due to its quality.
Just because you don’t do something yourself does not mean that you can’t pave the way for others to do it. You don’t need to be an art collector to help others appreciate the masters. You don’t need to be an author to help others become readers. You don’t need to be an architect to recognize distinctive styles of buildings. You don’t need to be a scholar to assist others in earning an education.
Start your legacy while you are alive by helping others achieve your aspirations. You may not have fulfilled your dreams on your own but they can be realized in different ways.
