What is a family meant to be?
Among other things, I personally have always felt it is meant to be a museum of memories - collections of carefully preserved memories and a realization that day-by-day memories are being chosen for our museum.
Someone in the family needs to be conscious that memories are important, and that time can be made to have double value by recognizing that what is done today will be tomorrow's memory.
And so I am encouraged to catch up on preserving memories this summer during our break from the homeschool schedule. I have been making copies of home videos, both for my own video library and to send out to relatives. I have been writing handwritten letters to friends. I have been backing up pictures from my computer to a CD, just in case something horrible should happen to the computer. And I'm going through these same photos and having the good ones printed and put into photo albums. I wish I were the scrapbook type, but I'm not. I'm happy with having the date on them, having them in an album in which people can actually look through, and sometimes a short description next to a picture in those albums that have such a place.
My other summer project includes making a school portfolio for each of the boys that summarizes their schoolwork for the year. This is a task I will enjoy once I get started, but I'm not very excited about doing it. I'd rather just toss it all into a box and label it with child's name, grade and the year! Done. But that wouldn't be nearly so nice to look through as a handsome portfolio with all of dear son's best work in it.....
I realize the importance of memories and trying to preserve them. Sometimes it can seem so daunting that I don't know where to begin. But someone has wisely said "You start by starting." Sometimes it is simple, like hanging Baby's First Year (Or Second Year) Calendar on the wall in baby's room, and then writing in it when baby says a new word, or tries a new food and spits it out, or gives brother a kiss for the first time.
Whether it be quick and easy, or a bit of a hassle, I'm sure the effort of preserving these memories will be worth it. Priceless, in fact.
2 comments:
Thanks for that Edith Schaeffer quote! You are sure using your summer well by getting all of those memories saved and organized. This is a good reminder for me to get some more of my pictures in albums. My kids love looking at them when I actually take the time to do that!
If you don't get it all done during the summer, we can do some together next winter!!
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