A different kind of heiress

When people hear the word "heiress", the first thing they think of is probably this:

And her little dog too.

The general perception of an heiress is that she must be a person who stands to inherit a great deal of money from her older relatives and, in cases like Paris Hilton's, is already reaping the benefits of said family money.  However, I would argue that things like money and property are perhaps the least important things one can inherit from one's family.  They are not trivial by any means, but, unless you are living near or below the poverty line, they do not strongly influence your happiness.  What matters most is what your inheritance gives you as a person.

If I am still alive by the time that both of my parents pass away, I know what I'll value most in my inheritance.  It won't be their money, even though they've worked so hard and saved so well throughout their lives that the amount will probably not be inconsequential.  It won't be their house, even though it and the environment around it are beautiful.  No, what I will be most grateful for is the little bits of themselves that they've embedded in me.  I have my mother's drive to meet self-made goals (for her, it's Wii Fit every day, for me, it's blogging).  I have my father's love of math and physics.  They have both given me a deep-rooted morality and an overbearing perfectionism (a trait which has its negative qualities greatly amplified by the tendency for procrastination I get from my mother).  They have taught me that store-brand is usually just as good as name-brand and that a Roth IRA is the best retirement savings plan for a person my age.  They have taught me love and compassion and responsibility.  When they die, I will carry on the best of them in how I act and who I am to the best of my ability.  

Just like Paris Hilton, I am reaping the benefits of my inheritance now.  But money is fickle; as we've all seen recently, a few screw-ups made in smoke-filled rooms can rob anyone of the material worth they have.  My true inheritance, though, is made of hardier stuff.  No fickle quirk of fate will take away the gifts my parents have given me.  Therefore, I do consider myself an heiress.  Perhaps I am not the kind of heiress society would deem as such, but I would not trade my inheritance for the world.