Memories: review and create them

I recently noticed a huge, heavy box on a high shelf in my storage room. Since it wasn’t labeled, I had no idea what it contained. How surprised I was once I was at ground level to realize what was inside.

There were several hundred greeting cards. Some were from various birthdays and graduations that I had over the years. Many were condolences that had come after my mother died. A leather bag embossed with “Important Documents” contained wills and insurance policies for my father, who died in 1979. There were newspaper clippings, airline boarding passes, and travel memorabilia.

My parents’ childhood baptism certificates were probably the oldest documents in the box. There was even a handmade scrapbook from a wedding party held in honor of my mother in 1949!

He had no idea that he had all these treasures or how they ended up together like this.

It didn’t take long to get a little overwhelmed by reading condolence cards and letters written by those who had loved my mother. In fact, I quickly realized that emotionally it was better to see only five or six a day. I noticed that many of the senders were unknown to me on a personal level and many of the others also passed away. I decided to search for themes to memorize and physically preserve only a few of them. It was very encouraging to note that people repeatedly expressed their thoughts that Mom was special because she made everyone else feel special. Great wisdom for all of us to meditate!

I went through all the unique treasurers that represented my father’s life: a pipe from his singing days at the barbershop, the seniority list of his employment with the CPR, a baseball counter he used when he was a referee at games. He even had a shin cast and some dollar bills printed for Canada’s centennial celebration in 1967. All of these things will be passed down along with stories to provide context for generations to come.

The handwritten letters and cards they sent me, as well as the diaries written by Mom, documented the daily events and her constant love for life and for me. The idea of ​​being loved never gets old.

It took several weeks to check and sort everything. Then I found a smaller box and carefully repackaged what I wanted to keep. This time I used a felt marker on the outside of the box to identify the contents.

This adventure made me think of many things. Why were all these items saved in the first place? I really don’t believe in coincidences. Perhaps these were waiting for me so that I could contemplate my story when the time was right. Second, I started wondering who would treasure these items in the future because I am the last of our family of origin. My mom, dad, and sister are gone, and so I am the keeper of stories and artifacts. Third, I was wondering what things I have that could be passed down and valued for generations to come.

This week think about the idea that you are a history curator. What do you have to convey and what can you create that will be treasured for decades to come? You may not realize it now, but even just writing a few stories from your life could be nuggets of gold for your descendants.