Well, I just had my good cry for the morning. I was reading the Chicago Tribune online and ran across an article about “If You Are Reading This…” letters. Most of the letters were written by soldiers who didn’t make it home to their families, but who took the time to write to their families how they felt, values they held dear, and in some, apologies.
The columnist, Eric Zorn asks the question, why aren’t we all writing these letters, and better yet, why wait until we’re dead to share them with family? Good question. As family historians, we put a lot of stock into preserving memories, but are we also taking the time to preserve those intangibles–the love we feel, the hopes for our children, the dreams we share? If not, maybe it’s time we did.
If you’re interested, the article is online at the Chicago Tribune website. It does require a free registration to view it, but it’s well worth a few minutes. Just make sure you have Kleenex.
In this vein I’d recommend “A Father’s Legacy: Your Life Story in Your Own Words” and “Reflections From A Mother’s Heart” both by J. Countryman. My parents gave me the former on the occasion of the birth of my first child and its proven to be a great journal to record important reflections to pass on. Any ordinary journal might do, but this format asks you to answer many thought provoking questions about your life and what is important to you – many of which I probably would not think to touch on even if I was writing a “if you are reading this…” letter.