Because of Them

Before beginning this post on the fun and importance of keeping written records of your children or grandchildren, I want to say a prayer of gratitude to God for the freedom we have in the United States of America and a prayer of thanks for those brave men who died during all our wars to preserve that freedom. This is D-Day. It happened in 1944, a lot of years ago, a hellish time for the men who landed on the beaches of Normandy. Thousands died, many miles from home; young men who stood between us and tyranny. Because of them, I am able to enjoy watching my grandchildren grow up in a free Nation, the best in the world. But this is not true for many who splashed ashore in the face of enemy fire. D-Day. We must remember.

I love history, the history of the United States, Ireland, Cherokee Indians, and I love my family history. The day we are born, each of us begin our own histories and to me, they are important enough to capture in word and picture. Before my granddaughter reached kindergarten, I put together a “Sara Almanac”. I began with January and went all the way through December, writing a verse about each month and one of her favorite activities for each month. Every month had a photo or two of Sara, a Bible verse and a small drawing of her favorite animal, Bear-Bear. I also wrote a smaller book, telling about only one day when she visited her Mem and Pop. I wrote for Nathan too. One day when he was small, a wandering Corgi came to visit. I began the book with a picture of that little lost dog and went on to include Nathan’s day of activities at Mem’s house. Now I keep a running journal that includes both their activities and wise sayings.  Such as the time, several years ago when I was asking Nathan a question and was only met by silence. I said, “Nathan, talk to your mem.” He answered, “People who talk too much make me sneeze.” I’ve got to remember that!

As well as making books for my grandchildren, I’ve made a scrapbook of my mother’s life and Dawn and I put together a scrapbook of Caney Cemetery. It may sound melancholy but actually, it isn’t. It’s a record of family members who lie there. As well as a picture of each headstone, I’ve written a snippet about the person.

So, history is important. As a nation, we must remember the history of our country and how we came to enjoy the freedom we have today. I want my grandchildren to remember and to know a bit about the family in which the Lord placed them. And maybe leaving a written record is a way of saying to the world, I was here. Whatever your story is, you are the only who can write it. And I hope you do.