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Family Memory Journal
by Rachel Paxton
A family memory journal is a fun, easy way to preserve family memories.
A couple of years ago I was sorting through a pile of unused journals
(many given to me as presents!) and was trying to come up with a way to
put them to good use.
One day after a family gathering, I sat down and wrote a short
description of the gathering in one of the unused journals. I wrote
where the gathering took place, the occasion we were celebrating, the
names of the people who had attended, and anything about the day that
had stood out in my memory. I did this for the next couple of family get
togethers and then just stuck the journal in a drawer somewhere.
It didn't seem like that big of deal at the time, but probably a year or
more later I pulled out the journal again and looked at the entries I
had made. It was really fun reading them again. I had already forgotten
some of the things that had happened, or thoughts that I had at the time
that fortunately I had thought to write down.
I've been really forgetful about writing in my family memory journal,
but in the past couple of years have probably chronicled two or three
family events a year. When you think about it, 25 years from now, the
journal will be full of family memories.
Family journals are a great thing to pass down to your children and
grandchildren. At the time they don't really care about what's going on,
but some day they will appreciate being reminded of some of their
childhood memories.
In the past year or so I've really gotten into scrapbooking. I was just
thinking that my memory journal will be a great resource for my
scrapbooking projects. Sometimes it takes months to get your photos
ready and pages laid out. By that time you will forget any memories you
had to go along with them. If you have your family memory journal, you
can use it to add journaling to your scrapbook pages, with your memory
as clear as if you had taken the pictures yesterday.
Don't let time pass you by and let those special family moments get away
from you. Sometimes an event as routine as "another family birthday
party" might make a great memory later in life. Especially when older
relatives start passing away, it's special remembering the times they
were involved in family get-togethers. Someday when you're that older
person, your youngest family members will enjoy reading about their
great- and great-great grandparents.
About the author
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's
for Dinner? An e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner
ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts,
and more, visit Creative Homemaking at
http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
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