I learned a new word thanks to a dear friend of mine, Sharon Cunningham. She posted on Facebook about the word, “saeculum”—which was one that I’d never heard of. I didn’t even know there was an actual word for this “event” or “circumstance.”
Saeculum means the period of time from when an event occurred until all people who had an actual memory of the event have died. The example she used was World War I. The saeculum for that war is over.
It can also be applied to people. (Something else I never thought about.) A person’s saeculum doesn’t end until all people who have a clear memory of knowing that person are gone. So even though a person has died, their saeculum will live for another two or three generations!
Isn’t this amazing? And comforting, somehow. Yes, eventually our saeculum will be over, but what amazes me, and comforts me at the same time, is knowing there is a word—an actual TERM—for the idea of this memory of an event or person.
When you think about it, knowing that someone has created a word to define this period of time is important, because it defines it and gives it meaning—not just some nebulous “I remember Mama” type idea that is passed down. It means, I DO REMEMBER MAMA. I remember how Mama used to sing, I remember how Mama used to cook, how her palm felt on my forehead in the night when she came to check on me. I remember “that” look when she was upset with me, and I remember how she cried when she learned her dad, my grandfather, had died.
Valentine’s Day 1965, Mom, my sister Karen, me, and my oldest sister, Annette
Nov. 1960–my sisters, Karen and Annette cutting up in the living room
Sept. 1966–my mom and dad together
Dec. 1965–my mom wearing the hula skirt my sister Annette brought me from Hawaii for Christmas
April 1960–my grandmother (mom’s mother), a not-quite-3-year-old me, and my sister Annette
January 1960–Mom’s 38th birthday
I remember Mama the way I knew her. And when we talk to other members of the family who knew and remembered her, we learn many other facets about her personality and things about her as a person we would never have known otherwise. It’s this way with every person we know!
But let’s take it one step further: I remember family. My own, of course—two sisters, Mama and Daddy. But what about extended family? Sometimes we tend to just “move on” in our lives and not dwell on memories of long ago because somehow, they don’t seem important to us. But now that there is a word that defines us in relationship to those memories, doesn’t it seem a little more important that we remember those long-ago times? Soon, there will be no one to remember, and the saeculum for our entire family will be gone.
A group of my cousins at a family reunion
Oddly enough, I remember what I thought as a child at family get-togethers—the excitement of seeing my cousins, of taking a trip to visit everyone, of staying up late and having a bit more freedom since I had grandparents at both ends of the small town where both sides of my family had many members living—and I felt special because of that. I was the only one of my cousins who had THAT! So we always had somewhere to walk to when they were with me—to one pair of grandparents’ house or the other.
As an adult, I think back on those simpler times and wonder what else was going on in the “adult world”—sisters, brothers, in-laws all gathering with their children and meal preparation for so many people—my mother was the oldest of eleven children!
My mother, El Wanda Stallings Moss, and my aunt (my dad’s sister) JoAnne Moss Jackson
Two unforgettable women!
Everyone tried to come home to Bryan County during Christmas and/or Thanksgiving. Such an exciting time, but for the adults…tiring and maybe stressful? If so, I don’t remember ever seeing that side of anyone.
My mom and dad as newlyweds in 1944–El Wanda Stallings Moss and Frederic Marion Moss–around 22 years old
So, maybe that’s why I think writing is so important. My mom always said she wanted to write down her life story, but “life” kept getting in the way and it never happened. When she ended up with Alzheimer’s, the time for writing down anything was over. Though the written word doesn’t add to a person’s saeculum, it does at least two things for those left behind: It helps preserve the stories and memories the deceased person has talked about before they passed, and it gives future generations a glimpse into their ancestors’ lives, thoughts, beliefs, and dreams.
This is my great-grandmother, “Mammy” (Emma Christi Anna Ligon Stallings)–my mother’s dad’s mother. I never knew her, but I felt like I did from the stories Mom told me about her. She was born not long after the Civil War ended, and regaled my mother with stories of her growing up years. I wish I had listened better when Mom tried to tell me about her!
We die, and eventually are forgotten by the world. Events happen that were, at the time, life-changing, world- altering, such as wars, rampant disease, and tragedies of other kinds. These, though horrific at the time, will eventually be relegated to the tomes of the historical past…and forgotten…by many. There is nothing to stop it. All saeculums will be over for individual people and for events. And they will all become history.
What we can leave behind for others is our pictures, the written word of who we are and what we believe, and if we have a particular talent or craft, pieces of that—carvings, quilts, beautiful artwork or writings, creations of so many kinds.
A painting my mom did many years ago of an old barn in a snowstorm. Sorry it’s so small! Couldn’t make it bigger without making it blurry.
Our saeculum is fragile, and fleeting. So for 2025, my one and only resolution is to try to keep some kind of journal for my children, or for anyone who might be interested in the future. I want to write about my childhood, just the regular every-day things we did, the heat of the Oklahoma summer nights, the fireflies that lit up those nights until we knew we had to go home or get in trouble! The way the house creaked, and how the attic fan sounded like a freight train as it brought in that blessed cooler air during those same hot summer nights. So many memories of “nothing special”—just the business of living. I want to write about the way life was then—because it will never be that way again, for better or worse.
My best friend, Jane Carroll, and me, on a fall day in the sandbox. I was about 8, and Jane was a year older. We moved in just down the street from one another during the same week of 1963! Jane is gone now, but I still love her and miss her.
Will anyone give a hoot? Maybe not. But I will know I’ve done what I could do if anyone DOES care. I’m not sure Laura Ingalls Wilder thought anyone would care about her stories—but look at what a glimpse into the past they have provided for so many generations! I’m no Laura Ingalls Wilder. My journals won’t begin to make the impression on the world that hers did. But you never know who might read them and think, “I wish I had known her!” (Even after my saeculum is over!)
Me, at age three.
Do you have anything you would like to leave to future generations to remember you by? This fascinates me!
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A native Oklahoman, I've been influenced by the west all my life. I love to write short stories and novels in the historical western and western romance genres, as well as contemporary romantic suspense! Check my Amazon author page to see my work: http://www.amazon.com/author/cherylpierson
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Good morning Cheryl! I learned a new word today! Never hear of it either! Thanks so much for sharing your story of your Mom and family. I’ve read Noelle’s Christmas Wish and Love Under Fire. Both were good books!
I love your idea of a journal of stories! I’ve been wanting to leave something like this for my children and grandson.
Best wishes to you!
Hi Tracy! This blog was my pleasure. I love things like this–history, the past, is an obsession now. LOL Since I haven’t gotten a chance to work much on my ancestry lately, I’m really missing it and I should have said that might be “resolution #2” for 2025. How I wish I had listened “better” to my mom — she remembered so many things, being the oldest in her family, and loved to talk about the past, the people I never knew, and so on. But sometimes that saying “youth is wasted on the young” is very true.
Aw, thanks for the kind words about Noelle and Love Under Fire. That is so nice to hear, that you enjoyed them.
Yes, the journaling idea, and the memories put down on paper, are more important than we know. On the Ancestry website, there are some notes that people have added along the way about memories of things they heard or saw or knew about that are definitely not in the legal documentation that we see on there–so those were quite helpful, especially if they coincide with something you might have heard , too. It can be a “pointer” toward other resources if you are searching for specifics.
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Always so nice to see you, Tracy!
fun post
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I hope people remember me as a happy person.
Bridgette, that is really thought provoking for me. I never thought about that. Thanks for this–I have failed to put any kind of description of things like that in my journaling, I guess because I was trying to keep to the facts of things, but now I see how important it is to also include the perceptions that other people have of family members, etc.
I have lots of things to be remembered about me. But was told that my children do not want it. I have photographs, childhood things that I cherish and saved all these years for nothing. I saved my children’s first outfits home from the hospital and gave them to them so when they had their first child they could have them. Only to be told that they were donated to a discount store or sold on market place on Facebook. I saved the outfit that I came home from the hospital in and gave it to my daughter for her first baby girl. It was over 50 years old. I cherished it for that long Only to find out that she gave it away. The younger generation don’t want our things. It’s clutter to them. A bother. I’m truly disappointed about this knowing that it will be thrown out when I’m gone.
Charlene, I feel your pain. I was just like you–I kept some of my old toys from my own childhood, and my mom saved several little dresses she’d made for me when I was a toddler, and so on–I had it all packed away so carefully, waiting for the day when I could pass it on to my kids. But both my kids have decided not to have children–and many of their friends have decided that kids are not for them, either. So. I still have the toys and the dresses and a few other keepsakes I’d thought to save for them, but one day, I know I’ll have to part with them since they are not needed or wanted. You are so right about this younger generation not wanting our things. My sister and I had a long talk about this (several times!) and she made the statement that “the things you cherish are because of your memories, and your memories are not THEIRS”–that helped me put it into perspective. We can’t expect them to revere the things we have cherished and kept for so long, because they don’t have the memories associated with them that we have. Still, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. I feel sad about the lack of “closeness” (for want of a better word) in how the kids dismiss old things from the past. I guess it’s the way of the world. I’m glad you stopped by today!
I have several things that I have kept. Things that I have kept since I was 3-5 years old – my baby doll, a teddy bear, a 3 ft wedding doll, a doll high chair, and a small kitchen table with two chairs for children. I don’t know what will happen to all of that. My oldest granddaughter told me she wanted some baby shoes that had belonged to me so I gave them to her. I’ve told the granddaughters if there’s anything they want to let me know. I too kept baby clothes from my children and my youngest daughter put her baby in them.
How nice that you got to pass those things on to your daughter and granddaughter! I still plan to put together a very small box of keepsakes and label them so that the kids will know what they are and what they have meant to their past. I think as kids get older, they become more appreciative of those kinds of things–at least I’m hoping! LOL Thanks for coming by today!
Oh my, Cheryl, that was inspirational! I had begun writing memories of things for my youngest sister. They’re just things that were interactions between the two of us, but now I see that I should expand on that. I just began a long journey into genealogy on a whim, but have gotten quite serious about it. I now have regrets that my parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles are no longer here to question and listen to and I didn’t regularly keep a journal back then, because it would certainly helped me in my quest.
Karin, thank you! I’m glad you stopped by today. I have really loved working on my genealogy, but wish I had started sooner. I had an aunt who really had worked so hard on it for years, and by the time I got to a place in life where I could devote some time to it, she was ill and soon passed away. I too wish that my ancestors had written down some things. I do have a copy of some stories of growing up that my great grandfather put to paper but there isn’t much of them. My aunt, the one in the picture with my mom, told a lot of stories that she heard growing up and how I wish I had written those down–I did write down some of them, but not I need to find what I did with them–I am soooo disorganized. Good luck in your “sleuthing”–it’s so much fun to learn about our ancestors!
What a wonderful post.
When I was my parents’ in August, they showed me a photo of an aunt and uncle. I remembered so vividly visiting their home, but I didn’t really remember their faces as much. They were my grandfather’s aunt and uncle, born after the Civil War, probably the 1880s, and the oldest people I had ever met. They both lived into their 90s.
I hope my kids have good memories of their childhood.
Denise, that is really something! I knew one of my great grandmothers–she was born in 1882. I remember her faintly–I was about 10 or so when she died, and by then she was in her mid-late 80’s. But she is more familiar to me than she should be based on the few times I was around her, because my mother was close to her and told lots of stories about how they’d all load up and “go to Grandma’s house for Sunday dinner” every week. She was my mother’s mother’s mother (WHEW).
She told me lots of stories about “Mammy” in the picture I shared in the blog–that was my mother’s father’s mother. She and her husband had a really fascinating past that I wish I knew more about. I never did know her–she died before I was born.
I think kids have memories that change through time, don’t you? I remember when I was younger thinking about all the chores I had to do, and how I always had so much piano practice that kept me from being outside as much as I would have liked, and how all my friends had it so much easier than I did, etc. NOW, I look at it and think, WOW, there were some ups and downs, but all in all, I did have a really good childhood! Age puts a different perspective on a lot of things, I think.
I never heard of that word before. thanks for the interesting post.
Hi Debra! I’m so glad you dropped by–I think this is a fascinating word!
Lovely photos and memories.
Thank you, Deb. I have soooo many pictures– a lot of them are in albums, some aren’t–also have some super 8 movie film I need to get put on DVD, too–but gotta find the time to get it all together!
I didn’t know this, either!! I wish I had written down some of Daddy’s and my uncles’ memories before they passed. Some of them knew family history that those of us left have no clue about. I tried to write down some of Mom’s, but we didn’t get very far!! I keep journals, though I’m not sure I’m going to leave them intact for someone else to read!
HAHAHAAA! Oh you made me laugh with that last line. LOL Listen…I have journals that will be tossed long before I die, I hope. Then I have ones that I have written and still do work on that are for anyone to read–more about family, ancestry, family stories, and so on. Kind of like “cooking the books” –two sets of journals. LOL To be truthful, probably no one would care about those ones I might be so worried about anyhow.
Great post I really enjoyed it and the new word. The only thing I can think of that I am leaving behind would be a few quilts that I made.
Quilt Lady, that is a wonderful legacy! WOW–I love quilts–always wanted to learn how to do that, but now, I’m not sure if I have it in me. Quilts are a fabulous thing to leave behind!
Other than photos, all I really had was childhood things like Barbie & Cabbage Patch dolls which I gave my daughters and the whole Care Bear collection which I will eventually pass down.
Joannie, I have all my Barbies and the extended family too. I have thought so many times about trying to sell them, but for some reason, I just can’t bring myself to try. I got that Barbie when I was about 3 years old! It was one of the first ones, and I have taken really great care of her. Ken, too,–though he’s going a little bald on one side. LOL I have Midge, Alan, Skpper, Scooter, Todd, and Tutti and Ricky. MAN–I think that’s all of the ones I had. By that time, I had gotten too old for them and never continued on, and then they started making the different Barbies with different outfits instead of just buying the outfit–you just buy a whole new Barbie! HA! But, I guess I better do something with them, because I know my kids will not care one whit about them.
Good morning, Cheryl. Yes, I have tons of pictures, but no one wants them. Some are from when my dad passed away and we all divided up the old pics left from mom and dad’s era, family pics. As I said, no one wants them now as my children have no interest what soever, and my brothers and sisters are practically as old as I am, so they have their own memories. What does a person do, burn them?
Isn’t that sad, Judy? My dad taught himself all about photography, developing the film, bought a Super 8 movie camera and took all kinds of Christmas morning movies of us, and so on. Now there are just not very many people who would even care about watching any of that. Oh, and he had two really NICE cameras that he always too with him on vacations and so on and took lots of slides, too. I have those, but need to get them transferred to DVD. I don’t believe my kids have any interest in all that, either. To me, that’s just such a great loss — I feel like we really have a desire to know where we came from, who we “belong” to, and maybe it makes us more grounded in our own world to know about those that came before us. Wish mine cared more, too. Well, if mine get burned, they’ll have to be burned after I’m dead. I would not be able to set a match to all that.
Family history and heritage are so important. The Bible and the Hebrew culture emphasize that. Thank you for reminding us of it.
I’m somewhat of a packrat, so I probably have too much saved back from the past, but my children seem to appreciate the memories, too.
Janice, I am a HUGE packrat! OMGOSH… but I was raised that way–both my parents were born in the Dustbowl/Depression days of Oklahoma and they saved everything, re-used everything, and really were both sentimental in their own ways so that books, music, pictures, and memorabilia meant a LOT to both of them–so I am the same way. My son is more like that than my daughter. I think the problem is that now our lives are so busy, we never have a chance to just sit down and look at pictures and let them learn who these people were and know about them–so of course, to them, they are just strangers. Very sad. I’m glad your kids DO appreciate those memories!
Your post is so interesting. I am the youngest of 7 children. My parents were older when they married, Daddy was 30, Mother 23, so they were older than all my friends’ parents. They were each one of 11 children. My Daddy was in WWI. Our son remembers my Daddy, but I had just found out I was expecting our daughter when he died so she does not. None of our grandchildren ever knew my Mother. It makes me sad thinking about that because I had such wonderful parents and such a wonderful childhood. I have been saying I am going to write down all the things I remember about my parents, but as you said, life has gotten in the way and it hasn’t gotten done. Thank you for reminding me that unless I take the time to do this, all these memories will be forgotten, things of the past.
Sarah, my parents were older than my friends’ parents were, too, since I am the youngest and there was a large gap between me and my sisters–they were 10 and 12 when I was born, so when I was 8 I was the only one left in the house! Then, on top of that, Gary and I waited quite a while before we started a family–so my parents were 64 before I every had my first child! But my kids did know them–they both passed when my kids were 20 and 17. Yes, we are the ones that have to force ourselves to START writing and you know what? I think it will be a lot easier to do it as time goes by–it’s just sitting down and getting started that’s tough.
I would like to leave my watercolor paintings.
I have a lot of things that are sentimental to me but my sons don’t see it that way. The young now don’t save stuff for the memories ( except photos on their phones).
Joye, when I was younger I didn’t think about keeping mementos and keepsakes as much as I do now. Back then, I guess I thought my mom would always be around to answer any questions I might have, so why write it down? I used to smile about her keeping everything…well, when we had to clean out our attic I realized I had kept every single thing my kids had made or done in school from the time they started kindergarten. LOL I really had become my mom! But you know what? I was so glad Mom DID keep so much of my stuff–it’s fun to go back and read the stories and poems I wrote so long ago in grade school. And you know what else? When my daughter started back ice skating again a couple of years ago, she called me and asked if I had any of her old skates, costumes, medals, patches, etc. And…….YES! I did! LOL She was so thrilled. I have several of my mom’s paintings. I don’t have them all displayed–but I have most of her china painting displayed, and a few of her small miniature paintings. Those are a wonderful legacy. I think someday my kids will want some of those things–they are both very artistic.
Never heard of that word before but so it’s so interesting. it’s always great to have those memories. I like taking plenty of pictures and putting them on the photo albums, my nieces and nephews seem to enjoy looking at them and seeing us in the “olden” days, lol
Laura, my parents had soooo many pictures in albums–my dad took many, many pictures throughout his life–it was a grand hobby of his and he loved it. I may go through my albums and just take out pictures with my nieces and nephews in them that they might be interested in and send those to them–though I don’t have too many anymore of them because I’ve sent them some through the years.
Family history and our heritage are so very important. I wish that when I was younger I would have know just how important they were in my life. One of my relatives is researching and collecting information for the entire family. We are all contributing what we can.
As an adult, I am realizing also how much my mother cooked from memory. Unfortunately, that was also true of my aunts. We all have been trying to recreate certain recipes and are not very successful. That is one thing I am trying to do for my only nephew is to let him know how important this is, so I am keeping information that he may want or need when he is older and we all may not be here with him. I am a little bit over the top with keeping things. I have every card he has given me, picture he has drawn and many of his baby clothes and toys for him.
Thank you so much for sharing your article with us. Hope you are having a wonderful blessed day.
*If I am a chosen winner, I will email my address to you.
Becki, I bet your nephew will be so happy to have all that! It thrilled me the other day when my son mentioned “maybe” getting some of his Christmas ornaments for next year when I take the tree down. I bought him and my daughter an ornament every year from the time they were born up until they were in their late teens. I think now that he’s married and settled, he’s ready to have some of those things. So when I take my tree down (yes it is still up! I love Christmas!) LOL I will get those together for him and put them in a special box to protect them.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, and thanks so much for coming by today!
Wow, Cheryl, I’d never heard of that word either! It really gives a person a lot to think about when it comes to leaving a legacy behind.
Kit, you know after I thought about this for the first time, it was something I couldn’t STOP thinking about. I wonder how many other words like this are out there that I don’t know yet, that are so profound, so though-provoking, that they make you just stop and think long and hard, and then come back to it again and do it all over again. I just never really thought about all this, at least not in this way. It was an eye-opener.
Good morning, wow, I really loved reading your post and it leaves me with alot to think about, yep, I’m getting older and I have told my children some stories of my growing up years, but there are still more to be told. If not for anybody else but for my children it will be interesting just knowing how I grew up. And you are right, we always had get togethers with family, aunts , uncles , cousins and more family and my parents or other family members never seemed stressed, amazing. I really like the word, I had never heard it and it is Very interesting,Thank you for introducing it to us. When I was 4 yrs old my dad built us a house in a very small town which wasn’t a town yet since there was only 1 other house at the time. Well as I grew up it was growing as a town and there was no Church there, so my mom and dad would bring a Priest and he would hold Mass on our carport and alot of people would attend, later on we had fund raisers and a Church was built. My 3 older brothers received their First Holy Communion at our carport where Mass was held. Back than things were so much simpler and easier or it seemed to be that way. Have a great day and a great week.
Oh, Alicia! I love that story about your parents having services in their carport! That’s great! Talk about pillars of the community! Yes, you must write that down, especially about how your parents built in a place where there was only one other house and the town grew around you all! That’s really and truly like something out of the old western days, isn’t it? Even if we think our kids might NOT care, there may come a time when they are sitting around saying these very same things about us: “I wish my mom would have left something written down about our family.” Well, at least they’ll have SOMETHING to start with if they’re interested, rather than not knowing, right?
Have a fabulous week, Alicia! I’m just hoping it really DOES get up to the 40’s by Thursday like they say–we are getting tired of these sub-freezing temps! LOL
What an interesting word. I have never heard it before. I really enjoyed your article. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Barbara! I thought that word was very interesting, too–it really has given me a lot of “thoughtful” moments since hearing it. Glad you came by today!
The only things I have to leave behind with memories of me, good and bad I’m sure, are my 3 boys and 2 granddaughter. Life has always been hard on us all. The divorce of myself and their dad tore us apart. I was trying to raise 3 boys, teens and a preteen, and it was rough. My vision getting worse made it even harder. I think at least my youngest, now 26, blames me still. We are trying to mend that fence 14 years later.
I chat with my kids and rehash the good memories. Their dad and I are “friends” now.
I do have one other thing to leave for wonderful memories, one large Amazon collections of ebooks. lol I also have a collection of some signed paperbacks.
Indie authors are so generous in their giving and gifting. That’s hoe I have so many signed books.
Carrie, I believe everyone has some of those hard times and bad memories that remain, no matter how many years go by. A divorce is never easy–never. I can’t even imagine trying to raise three boys at those ages by myself. That must have been SO hard for all of you, especially if you were having vision problems on top of everything else! I bet when your youngest son matures a little more, he’ll be more forgiving. I’m glad you are able to be on good terms with your ex, but more than anything, with the kids. The more years that pass, the more things seem to even out, and I hope it’s that way for you and yours. Kids sometimes don’t realize the sacrifices we make as parents until they are older, and how I wish my kids had opted to have children of their own, since there are some things that maybe a person doesn’t really understand until they are faced with it themselves as a parent, you know?
And how fabulous about your Amazon book collection! And the signed paperbacks! Now THAT is a great legacy to leave someone! You can’t beat a good book, for so many things–escape, relaxation, learning, and just an overall feeling of contentment.
I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you! So glad you stopped by today, Carrie!
I would like others to remember how much I loved the Lord. Thank you so much for sharing. Hugs. God bless you.
Oh Debra, that is so sweet and tells me so much about you! What a wonderful thought to have! Thanks so much for stopping by today–you’ve given me even more to think about!
I have many mementos and cherished items which I would like to pass on to my daughter but she does not want them. Growing up in Arizona I collected many Native American things like pottery and Indian rugs. She would probably give to the Goodwill so I am leaving all those things, some of which are rare and priceless, to my nephew…a John Wayne wannabe. Plus his wife loves Indian jewelry. I know they will have a good home with them.
Jackie, that is a very wise and loving decision on your part. I hate to think about passing things on to people who don’t appreciate them or really TREASURE them as we have done. I have a ceramic candy bowl that my grandmother made, with a rose and leaves on top of it, and of course no one in my family will want that. I have a place for it in my china cabinet and I remember my grandmother, but my kids never knew her. I know that lets your mind rest to know those prize possessions of yours will be going somewhere that they will be appreciated and loved.
I have an antique purse was one Grandma’s. Also her recipes and use them, her cookie sheets, pie plates, aprons, my brother had her bed but he passed away, my niece (first granddaughter of my Mom) has a lot of my Mom’s things, I have Mom’s noodle pan and my Dad’s binoculars, my Mom’s photo albums, some of her clothes, and an Indian needle of my Grandma. My other grandma gave me the love of flowers.
What a lovely, lovely collection of things to be passed on to others in the family! I used to have my dad’s binoculars, too. They meant so much to me, because as a little girl, we’d go outside into the summer night and he’d let me look at the stars through them. I felt like I was so grown up! We had a guy come in to do some work for us–painting, remodeling and such. He had hired a member of his crew that we thought we could trust–and one day we went to Home Depot to pick up a couple of things they needed. Long story short, he stole those binoculars and some of my jewelry and my dad’s pellet gun that also mean a lot to me, among some other things. I was able to get my jewelry back, but none of those other things. Of course, lesson learned. Never be trusting of anyone you have working in your home–at least not trusting enough to leave them there alone. :(((
I have to ask, What is an Indian needle? I have never heard of that before.
Thank you so much for stopping in today, Jane!
Since I am very single and still looking with no kids something I would like to leave to future generations to remember me by is and is a real treasure to me because my parents gave it to me when I was young was a Red King James Version of the bible that since I received it have read it cover to cover and even written important things in it and underlined different scriptures this Bible will always be a treasure to me.
Oh, how nice, Crystal! I have my Dad’s Bible, and I really treasure it, because he made notes in it, too, like you have with yours. That is a very special thing to have!
Thanks for an interesting post. Probably my jewelry. I have some from my maternal grandmother.
Diana, what a treasure that is! I used to have a set of ear”bobs” as they called them back in the day of my maternal grandmother’s too, but I don’t know where they are now. I hope I come across them again when I begin to clean everything out. She wore earbobs to church, but that was about the only time. My dad’s mom–I can’t remember ever seeing her with a piece of jewelry on.
I am really sorry I didn’t journal all those years I was lucky enough to have some really good and different experiences. Many times I have been told by friends and acquaintances that I should have written it all down. There are so many years to cover, I doubt I could do it. One thing I am glad of is the letters I wrote home while I was in the Peace Corps were saved by my mother. They do make a pretty good record of that time. It would be nice to have the time to go through them and at least try to record those experiences in a different form.
I do remember asking my grandparents questions about their past. My one grandfather’s response was “Why do want to know that stuff?” That was the end of that. I did get more information from my grandmothers. It was interesting eavesdropping on my parents in conversation with their siblings and their aunts and uncles. I was so young and really wish I had listened more and wrote it all down. All I remember are a few tidbits. Sadly so much of those generations are gone. I am the oldest on my father’s side of the family, and there are only two uncles and an aunt left on my mother’s side with a coupe of cousins my age as the oldest of our generation. I am glad one of my brothers has gotten involved in genealogy and recorded much that we did not know. I now know why my grandfather wasn’t very forthcoming.
One thing that is done in the military veteran community is something we could do in our own families. The saying is that as long as your name is spoken, you are not forgotten. My husband and I have participated in. several ceremonies doing just that. When putting wreaths on the graves in military cemeteries at Christmas time with Wreaths Across America and when putting flags out for veterans’ Day. We place them, salute them, and thank them by name for their service. They are remembered. There was a ceremony several years ago where the names of all those buried in our National Cemetery were read. We started at 6 am and it lasted all day. At the time there were 12,000 buried there. Today there are 18,000, which may be why they haven’t done it recently.
Thank you for today’s post. It brought back many good memories…..and a bit of sadness that we can’t go back and visit with them again even for just a little while.
No need to enter my name in the giveaway. I already have those books.
Patricia, if you have those letters you wrote, that would be a fabulous place to start in recording YOUR memories, at least! I try to remember, that although my kids might not be interested NOW, later on they might be, and by then I could be gone. And if they aren’t there might be a great niece or great nephew come along that would want to know.
That is wonderful abuout speaking the names of the service men and women on ceremonies. They need to be remembered for their sacrifices.
I’m glad to know your brother is working on the genealogy of your family–so often, I wish there was someone in my own family that I could talk to about what I’ve learned and how fascinating it really is! Maybe you will be that person for him!
So glad to know you have the books and I hope with all my heart you enjoy reading them! Take care my friend, and thank you so much for coming by today. Always so good to see you.
Wow! Thanks for sharing. That was so inspiring. I always think that what I most want to leave behind for my family is precious memories. Those memories are priceless.
Cherie, you are so right. Memories are so wonderful–but that’s why I want to try to write some of them down, for those who weren’t there at the time and wouldn’t know otherwise. And gosh, the older we get, the faster it seems we forget–I know I do! I need to hurry up! LOL Thanks for stopping by. There is nothing more precious than those memories, you are so right. (It has weighed on my mind a lot that I need to write some memories of the kids from when they were babies/toddlers and too far back for THEM to remember, but of course, I have all kinds of memories and stories to tell!) LOL
You make an excellent point! Both my parents died in 2015 and my siblings and I have run across some of those moments (to the point of arguing about who remembers what Mom or Dad said). It’s a blessing to leave written accounts for future generations.
Yes, I totally agree–because details can be mixed up or forgotten. One thing that calls this to mind is how, when my mom’s family was going to see about putting a gravestone down for mom’s great grandfather, they all began to argue over whether his middle name was Benson or Benton. Seems minor, but it makes a difference when hunting for records! Especially if there is no record of HIS signature or legal documentation. Just things you would never think of.
Oh, Cheryl, what beautiful family history and photo’s you have shared. Thank you so much!
I have so many family photo’s that really need to be organized and put into some kind of family history archive. Too many things to do and not enough time. I keep saying “some day”, but am not getting any younger ;o)
Lynn, there is a company called Legacy, I think is their name, and that’s what they do–you send them your old photos, slides, film, and they put it all on DVD. They are really pretty reasonable, especially when they have a sale going! I’ve thought often of doing that, but like you say, not enough time, and I say “some day” too! I might just get a few together and send them to see what happens, though. I have some VHS tapes and super8 film I would love to get transferred, too.
I never heard of that word either so both of us have learned a new word today. Love the pictures of your family and the history. I wish I had more pictures of my family, the ones of have are so precious and hold such wonderful memories that are in my heart. Me and my twin sister talk about when we young all the holidays and ect. The lovely memories we shared together.
Sandy, I always wished for a twin sister, or later on, even a LITTLE SISTER, or a little BROTHER, even! LOL I was so much younger than both my sisters that I felt like an only child after about age 8 when everyone was out of the house. I have a cousin that I spent a lot of time with in the summers, and she’d come stay with us some, too. I remember soooo many fun things we did and good times we had. I don’t have a lot of pictures of her, but I love to talk to her on the phone now and we just laugh and laugh. Good for the heart! I kept a lot of her letters that she wrote to me back when we were kids, and I photographed them and sent those pictures to her and she was so thrilled. Lots of great memories. (We were so crazy about Bobby Sherman and Mark Lindsay back then!) LOL