Tag: memories

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Keepsakes

When you pack up a houseful of belongings, you run across lots of keepsakes.

All sorts of things can be a reminder of the person who gave it to me: photos, cards, books, a rattlesnake rattle.

That last one is a new addition to my keepsake collection.

Gary and I visited a couple from church on Wednesday. They live out by the river, and I reminded him that he was going to show me a live rattlesnake sometime. We had joked about it when we first came to live here, but it had never happened, even though snakes would show up out there quite often.

Judy showed me a picture of a nice-sized rattlesnake (someone had taken the picture while her husband went to get his gun).

Then Bruce dumped a little jar of rattlesnake tails onto the table. We marveled over them, and then he urged me to take one. “Really?” He pointed out a good one and I thanked him as I made it rattle.

On the way back to town, I held my rattle carefully and gleefully shook it every once in a while. “This is so cool!” I kept saying to Gary (he agreed, but I think he had enough after about the first mile).

I thought it was incredibly generous that our friend would give away part of his own rattle collection (he gave one to Gary, too).

Seeing that rattle in the years ahead will always remind me of Bruce and our good times on the Missouri River (thankfully, we never did see a rattlesnake while we were boating).

As I’ve come across other keepsakes recently, I’ve felt grateful for the reminders of friends and relatives.

Physical objects can be nice to display (or store away to look at later), but we don’t always have something tangible to help us remember someone. Maybe we just have special memories of a relative or friend. As we get older, those may start to fade, so consider doing something to make sure you preserve that keepsake.

Write a letter to that person, telling them about your recollections. Keep a copy for yourself so you can look back on it later.

Draw a picture of something that reminds you of a special person. Write their name somewhere in the picture (or on the back) so you never forget.

Take a picture when you see something that reminds you of a friend. Send a copy to them on your phone and say “I saw this and thought of you!” You’ll feel good, and so will your friend.

I’m glad God has given us so many friends. I’ll cherish the keepsakes and memories I’ve collected over the years, and I’ll give God the glory as I accumulate even more. I wonder what other trinkets he has in store for me? I’m guessing not many will beat a rattlesnake tail!

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.” (Psalm 77:11 NIV)

Do you like to collect keepsakes? How can focusing on God help you to find creative ways to remember friends and thank God for them?

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Memories

I’ve been going through some old pictures and letters in one of my file cabinets lately. It has been really fun to walk down memory lane and read letters from friends, look at pictures people have sent over the years, peruse thank you notes and greeting cards people have given us, and find things I didn’t even remember I had.

Here’s the inside of a Mother’s Day card Erin made for me in 1999:

In case you can’t read it, it says “If I had 3 moms because they kept dying, you would be the best one!” Isn’t that sweet? (She was only 7.)

If I hadn’t gone through my files, I wouldn’t have found that little gem. My heart was warmed by memories of friends that I’ve lost touch with and reminders of friends I’ve made in recent years, as well as friends I’ve corresponded with for years and years. Sure, I weeded out some letters that no longer meant much to me, but there were many that I read over and put right back in the file because they brought a smile to my face and warm feelings to my heart.

I remember when I saw that one of my college friends had ripped up a letter from her mom and thrown it in the trashcan. I was appalled because words meant so much to me. I kept every letter I received from home and treasured it. Now, I realize that my friend and her mom wrote each other much more often than my parents and I did and she probably couldn’t keep every letter. I’ve gotten a bit more selective about what I keep as well. Today I found myself tossing quite a few Christmas letters from years ago. They were interesting to read at the time, but I don’t need all of the facts from 1995. I found it much more difficult to throw away a thoughtful, handwritten letter because it contained much more personal information and memories of times that person and I had shared.

I can’t keep everything anyone ever writes to me, but you can bet I’ll keep most of them so I have something special to read when I’m old and gray (oops, starting to get there already!).

We can’t live in the past, but memories are something we can treasure as we go through life. Our minds start to fail us as we get older, so it’s good to have pictures, letters, and mementos to jog our memories and remind us of special people we’ve known and events we’ve lived through.

I’m so thankful for each and every person God has brought into my life in the last 48 years, and I can’t wait to see who He will arrange for me to meet in whatever years I have left. Life sure is exciting, isn’t it?

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3–6 NIV)

Is it time to look through old letters and photos and relive some memories? How can focusing on memories (and God) give us the strength and confidence to move forward in life and make some new memories?