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13 Dec 00 - 12:50 AM (#356197) Subject: Memory Letter - Holiday gift idea From: katlaughing My brother, the long-suffering composer:-), is on a tight budget. He didn't ask me to, but I've been thinking of things he could make or do for Christmas gifts, that don't cost him much, because it is something which is important to him. I think it is probably his favourite holiday of the year. Anyway, being the youngest of five kids, I missed out on a lot of early immediate family history, so I decided to ask him to write me a Memory Letter. He has many diaries from when he was a kid from which he could draw. I will tell him I would love to hear about what the fmaily was like and what they did for fun and what songs they sang, etc. before I was born and right after I was born. Then, I decided this would be a good idea for anyone who doesn't want to or doesn't have money to spend on manufactured gifts. Write of your family's early days, for your children, your siblings, more distant relatives; or write of your surroundings and how they've changed from when you were little. Anyway, you get the idea. And, it doesn't have to be overwhelming, just a short letter. I don't know if I will get them done in time for this season, but I will do this for each of my kids, even though they've heard verbal stories of their births, etc. Hope you find this useful. kat |
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13 Dec 00 - 02:01 AM (#356222) Subject: RE: Memory Letter - Holiday gift idea From: Ebbie That's a great idea. I hope I can incorporate something of the kind in my family. One thing I do that my daughter and her family like. Periodically I hand write a little booklet for them, titled 'When Mommy was Little', Part 1, Part 2, etc. Inside there are vignettes of her life as a child, all hand printed and illustrated by me. The subjects range widely, from her first hair cut (and Mommy and child both cried) to falling face first in kindergarten into a mud puddle in a brand new dress, to a dog bite on her leg, to a walk in the forest with her new harmonica and an inquisitive deer stuck her head out from inside a bush, and lots of points between. My daughter loves them as much as her three kids do- I think it's kind of an affirmation to her of how important she has always been to me. I believe that having your family actively remember you when you were little is something we ache for. Before my brother died last year, he and I were the youngest of a large family and it seemed that he was the only one of them who had specific memories of me. When he died, I lost that. Memory is such an important part of events, maybe even the most important part. So thanks, kat, for giving me an idea for more memory catching! Ebbie |
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13 Dec 00 - 12:48 PM (#356445) Subject: RE: Memory Letter - Holiday gift idea From: Jeri A few years before my mom died, I gave her one of those blank books with the pretty covers and asked her to write her memories in it. I wasn't living at home at the time, and the way memories happen is they just surface when they want. I didn't want to miss the ones I wasn't around to hear. I got the book back after she died. While I've forgoton about a lot of the typical gifts, the book is something I will always cherish. Another gift I love is one someone gave to me on my first birthday. It's tells the story of a baby from birth to first birthday with text and pictures cut out of magazines. I don't recall ever meeting the woman who did it - she was very old when I was born and died before I could get to know her. But I still have the love she put into that book to remember her by. |
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13 Dec 00 - 12:51 PM (#356450) Subject: RE: Memory Letter - Holiday gift idea From: katlaughing Those are just wonderful, Jeri and Ebbie. Thanks! |