I have been in the mood the last few days for organizing. You know, making lists and stacking things and throwing stuff out and finding space-all of that good stuff. Now, just ask my family, I don't get in this mood very often so I have to jump right in and do those things before the urge leaves me. Last Saturday I organized my massive collection of cookbooks and my pantry. Tonight I worked on getting my loose recipes into a binder and plan to categorize them tomorrow into sections. I started a project in the the garage a few weeks ago and plan to finish that tomorrow. I am sorting through boxes of things I have saved for years and years and years. I am not kidding. Some of that stuff has been packed away since before we had children and our oldest is almost 28! Obviously, if I haven't needed it in almost 28 years, I probably don't need it.
I know, I know. I posted about this last month, the decision about what to throw out and what to keep. So, I won't bore you with too many details again. But I did start thinking about another aspect of going through boxes and files and such. What item do you have from a family member that means a lot to you? It could be something passed down through generations, such as a cradle. Or, maybe a piece of jewelry from a loved one. Tell us a story about something you possess that was "passed on" to you.
Here is my story. My treasure is a Bible that my Dad passed down to me. It is the Bible that he was using when I was born. I believe he gave each of us five girls the Bible he was carrying at the time we were born. Daddy was a preacher and receiving one of his Bibles was a big deal. I got it out tonight and was looking at it and wanted to share the images with you:
The Bible
The inside where he started the three page note to me
The sign-off
This is so precious to me. But I find myself wondering if my children will treasure it like I do. I ask this because I remember going through Mom and Dad's things and finding stuff that they had treasured and saved and the big question was "Who wants this?". Sometimes the answer was no one. Do you think about that? Do you wonder if things that you hold on to so tightly will mean anything to future generations of your family? Perhaps that is why it is so important to pass on to our children the things that really matter. Things like teaching them, by our lives and our words, to trust God and to love Him and live for Him. I want THOSE to be the things my children treasure when I am gone.
But, I still hope they treasure this Bible, too. For the sake of their PaPaw's memory and legacy.
3 comments:
It's funny you should ask about something being passed on. Two days ago mom and dad gave me some of Grandma Arnold's old hankerchiefs and her pinky ring.
Another thing we treasure (and often fight over) is something of Brenna's. After she had passed we were going through her stuff. The girls had just started to share a queen size bed and I was needing to get a comforter for it. Well, wouldn't you know, but inside Brenna's things was one full size (we made it work) quilt and two pillow shams. It was perfect and it even matched the border in the girls' room. Even though the girls have their own rooms now, it's often a fight between who can sleep with Aunt B. I love it. Sometimes I tell them both no and I cuddle up with it on the couch. It is so soft and broken in now. In fact, I think I hear it calling my name right now!
Love ya!
I love things with sentimental value. They just can not be replaced.
And yes, D gets to come with me! I scheduled my next 4 appts for Wed afternoons, since he has those off! Mom is coming, too!
What a sweet gift from your thoughtful dad! I can't think of anything that I have that is like that. Maybe I'm too young to have many things that are passed down. Hmm, something to think about. I think passing down is a lost art.
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