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So with a pen in her hand, mother began to write and record facts about growing up in a small town, helping her dad on a ranch, and later getting married and raising three children. Years went by and she continued to write.
When my dad (her husband) passed away, she and her widowed sister Edna took a cruise to Alaska and the following year another one to the Caribbean . They traveled to Hawaii twice and on one occasion drove back to Kansas
At age 90, mother gave up her driver’s license, so once a week I took her grocery shopping. In October each year, I drove her to visit her sister Edna in Lindsay and to celebrate Edna’s birthday.
All this was recorded in her journal.
One day she requested me to type it up for her, which I was happy to do. I asked her to keep writing, but she said, “Now I am too old to travel, so I will just let that be it.”
As time went by, my mother Ruth began to loose her memory. Most days, she thought I was a good friend and not her daughter. There was scarcely a story to tell or write down. They were lost and there was no saving them anymore.
Not all was lost, because she had written down much in her journal and I had recorded it on my computer.
Printing out the copies was easy and I took them down to our Office Supply and had 50 copies spiral bound into an 8 ½ by 11 book.
Mother passed away in March of this year, and at her funeral we gave out the copies of her story to all who knew her well and to the family. Many told us how thrilled they were to learn more about our mother and her activities as they read her book.
All of us have a story to tell. As we age, it is more difficult to remember events of long ago, and now is the time to begin to write the account of your life.
May I encourage you to save the stories that will be lost if you fail to do this.
This post is linked with Jennifer at: God-Bumps and God-Incidences
And linked with Joan Davis at: Sharing His Beauty
This post is also shared at: “Tell Me a True Story” http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/
I do hope you are also enjoying reading as many stories as you can and giving your comments.
9 comments:
I love your stories Hazel
Love, Vicki K
Hazel, I love what you did with your Mom's journal. How great was that for all who knew her!
Thank you for the kick-in-the-butt to keep writing my stories.
Last year, I was contacted by a daughter typing out her father's WW 2 journals which he kept secretly during horrific warfare. He was dying of cancer and she took his journals and did the same thing - had it printed into books for the family and friends. She went as far as contacting family members of all the men in his company and shared the book with us all. Joe and I found out things about Joe's father we never knew (as he would never speak of the war). Wow...what a treasure to our family.
So glad your family has your Mom's stories and they sure have yours now! What a blessing, Hazel! Keep writing, my friend.
This is such a beautiful story. What a wonderful and precious gift to remember your mother by.
It's horrible to lose our memories. Mine is not too good (and I am still reasonably young). I have to write things down these days or else I will forget. The Lord led me to record the things He was teaching me 5 years or so ago and I am so glad He did because I am so forgetful - even when it comes to spiritual lessons.
What a wonderful story and a wise advice. Those are the jewels of this life...
Sometimes I think I should write a book-ish re: my ex-husband, their g-pa, b/c he couldn't/wouldn't ever say much and he had so many critical, sometimes miraculous, events in, mostly, the S.F. Bay area when he was raised and another set in Tacoma. One miracle: the year before I met him he fell 4-stories from a hotel in downtown Tacoma, landed on his head on the sidewalk, and broke a leg in 3 places when he hit a streetlight on the way down. He was pronounced dead a couple times, and came back to life, was never supposed to walk again and always have seizures ... and was thoroughly healed. Other things changed after our marriage, but those miracles are something my g-kids and even MY kids need to know. So, someday, that's my new "job". Been thinking about it and you just pushed my button even harder. Hmm. AND sorry to take so much time, but when you hit my heart, you just have to put up with it. Right?
Bless you for sharing and caring for your Mom and the rest of us.
oh I love this...we have tried to get my husband’s mom to write her stories...I really think she could have another little house series...such a rich childhood she had...what a blessing to have this from your mom...will our blogs be part of our stories left behind? blessings~
This is a beautiful reminder to keep a journal. I have found such comfort from the words of those passed on--thank you for reminding me to do the same! :)
What a remarkable gift. We each have our own unique story to tell, and I'm so glad you have your mother's. What a treasure.
Oh, how I love this - the keeper of the stories. I grew up with my grandmother and the last few years of her life she had dementia - how I missed the woman I knew. I love your heritage of story telling - and how you honored your mother's gift. I blog for my children and my children's children. They might not want my stories now - but one day, maybe my great-granddaughter will:)
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