Memory Boxes

The main purpose of this blog is to serve as a family journal so that our kids have a written account of our lives together and, most importantly, a record of their childhood.  Childhood memories are some of the greatest memories from my life and, other than what I have locked in my mind, I don't have anything tangible except pictures.

So many times I'll start telling a story from childhood, like how much my brothers and I used to love playing with our He-Man figurines or  how I can still smell the scent of my Strawberry Shortcake doll.  I can still recall how I used to lock myself in my room as an early teen and play Madonna's "Like a Prayer" cassette tape over and over again and listen to my brothers make fun of me or the hours I spent making friendship bracelets from the colorful string I bought from the craft store.  And every time I tell these stories I always wish I had  kept something just for memory's sake.  And I'm pretty sure Evan would think Skeletor was awesome too - especially knowing his mama used to play with him when she was a little girl.

So that Evan wouldn't have the same regrets, I began collecting various things that represented something of significance to each stage of his life.  I knew I had to be extremely selective in what I chose because the collection could easily get out of control even in just his first year.  Everything I had set aside is now in a large Rubbermaid container - his memory box.  I have also started one for Mattie.  I'm hoping that by the time they are both teenagers they can begin adding their own items of importance and possibly carry this on through their adult years.  I think their children would find it absolutely fascinating to go through 90+ years of their parents' memorabilia.

Robert's Great Grandma lived to be 107 years old.  Not too long ago, during one of our visits to see Robert's mom, we had the amazing experience of going through 107 years of his Great Grandma's things.  She had an immaculate collection of lifelong memories kept in a trunk from her childhood.  Pulling out her baby shoes from the late 1800's and reading letters that her father had written her - I can't even describe how incredible that was.  But what I found most amazing is how every single item had a little note attached  describing its significance.  I believe Robert's Grandma did this at some point while his Great Grandma was still alive so that once she wasn't around to tell the story behind her collection  her things would still be documented for others.

At the top of my blog I have added two new tabs - "Evan's Memory Box" and "Mattie Jane's Memory Box."  These pages contain pictures and descriptions so that they too will understand the significance of the items I have collected from their childhood.  This serves as the starting point for their 100+ years of memories.