Are there family treasures you own that have history attached to their value? You know what I mean—that bookcase that used to belong to your father when he was a boy or the china teapot your husband carried all the way home for you from Hong Kong.
My mom and dad reside in Heaven, but they left behind family treasures with little notes of history attached to the underside of each. What an inheritance!
Some years ago I gathered boxes of such items and included the history notes from my mom and dad. Each box was then sealed and marked with the name of one of my sons as a wedding gift from Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Andy.
Leaving index cards with the history of an item taped to its underside or placed within a teapot or silver box makes sense. Here are suggestions for leaving the stories of your life with the items you treasure.
Family treasures
- What was the date that the item was purchased or received?
- Can you describe the history that makes the item important? For example: a wedding gift from ____________ or a quilt made from my mother’s old dresses.
- Who did the item belong to and why?
- Where was the item purchased and how much did it cost?
- Is there an inspirational, funny, or sentimental story connected to the item? If so, tell about it.
- Old books and Bibles all have a story. Be sure to include a Family Treasure index card inside the front cover.
It seems like such an undertaking to write notes for all of your special items, but it can be part of your spiritual legacy. Just do a few each week.
Building a legacy with you, Susan
“Jesus likes it when we share.” -Adelaide, age 3: Pass this along to everybody and their brother. OK, maybe not everybody’s brother, but all of your friends would be nice.
Related posts:
How to Make Good Life Stories From Great Traveling Adventures
Decorate Your Home With a Godly Heritage
How a Hobby Became Keys to a Legacy
Today I’m saying Hello Monday to all my friends who love adventure, and I’m linking up with Lisa Leonard’s post on her adventures in Cozumel, Mexico (awesome photos).
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This Post Has 2 Comments
I love this idea! My mother recently passed, and my father had passed 35 years ago. My mother was an only child, and her parents are long gone. So when she died, we were left with boxes and boxes of things…. all without explanation. My mom was a quiet soul. Shared very little of her past. I sooo wish I was told a little history with each item.
Thanks so much for your comments, Lisa. My folks were great legacy and history builders. I so appreciate the way they shared things with us and passed on the inheritance of wonderful memories. Mom was the “photo” keeper of the family and it means so much now to look at her photo albums and read the notes with each photo. Some of my younger kids didn’t get to spend the time with her that my older kids did, so these things are such a great way for the younger kids to get to know their grandparents. I’m still going through the box of old love letters she and Dad saved from WWII that they wrote back and forth to each other. And of course, the notes she and Dad left have been priceless.