We don’t see each other as often as we used to; life, work, and obligations have a way of impeding on even the closest of friendships. But when we are together, we easily pick up conversations and stories where we left off, especially stories about John McGrath Sr., who passed away too soon.

While all of the siblings in the second generation of our families share a love for the water and fond memories of boating, it’s John Jr. and me who were lucky enough to stay entrenched in the pastime with boats of our own. At weddings, funerals, and family parties alike, we always talk about getting all four of our kids together on the water. How fun would it be to pass the torch to the next generation?

Luckily for all of us, there must have been something in the water—or in their DNA—because Connor, JT, and Kyleigh hit it off almost immediately. Our icebreaker was the time-honored Essex tradition of catfishing with a top-secret ingredient (I’m pretty sure a catfish would swallow a roll of pennies if offered). After catching a couple of ugly, croaking catfish and sharing big, celebratory high-fives, we were all pretty juiced up. Then there was coloring and a movie in the air-conditioned salon of the McGraths’ boat.

Catching up in the lower galley/dinette area with Sarah and John, I popped my head up into the salon to see Connor resting his head on Kyleigh’s shoulder as the sun-drained trio vegged out to the magic of Minions. I snuck my iPhone around the corner to capture the impromptu moment. If the goal was to kindle a new generation of friendships, this was one of those mission-accomplished moments.

Driving home, my thoughts turned to John Sr. and how much he would have enjoyed seeing our kids playing together and enjoying his chosen pastime. I can imagine him smiling, raising a glass, and finding the perfect words to commemorate such a great weekend. I guess that’s what leaving a legacy is all about.

Who knows, perhaps one day our kids will get together on their boats, tell stories of happy childhoods on the water, and pass our pastime on to their kids. It’s a long way off, but we’re off to a promising start.