Sometimes we just have to take joy in the stories of others. I really look forward to when I can sit down and look through my monthly issue of Reminisce magazine. It doesn't talk about things that I recognize in my generation, but it does often bring up stories from the 40's - 60's and I remember stories from my grandparents and parents talking about these kinds of stories as a kid. This month, they hat stories about Beatniks, The Irish Immigration during the Civil War, One elder's memories of his family's ice delivery business and the building that once housed it now serving as a recreation center for his great grandchildren. The magazine is simply filled with great stories of people out there who lived through different times and share their perspectives; perspectives I am happy that are being preserved in the magazine.
Here's a couple of pictures of their magazine articles.
Creating an Heirloom
Heirlooms are a great way of connecting multiple generations to each other through shared history and stories. Here's a video about ways to create heirlooms and why the "connection" that is created is the more valuable element of any heirloom. Sometimes the heirloom would have little to no monetary value, but immense emotional and sentimental value. My maternal grandmother and grandfather made a project of preserving our family history in a large 3 ring binder with pictures and stories. That three ring binder can be amended, expanded upon and kept up to date - something that I can pass down to my girls as an item that will help inform where they came from...
If you have an heirloom or something you would like to share more widely - please let me know. We are doing a show and tell segment on our new YouTube channel and we're looking for stories to share with the world.
Video on the importance of creating heirlooms for your family. Jewelry can be an item that can truly stand the test of time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79F5CaI0su0
An Example of Preserving the Story
Here's a post from familysearch.org about heirlooms and their stories. It's a great example of something we can all do when we inherit something or are given something special. Sharing these online not only preserves the story for the owner, but for someone else. For example, I have civil war buttons from my paternal grandmother's family, and I know who they belonged to, but I don't know much about the man who wore them. I feel I am lucky to have the story I have with those (a paper with the name and years on it), but now that we are in a more digital era, we can create stories that are preserved in perpetuity.
