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Home For The Holidays: Heirloom Stories Are A Perfect Gift


Selecting the right gift for a special someone is sometimes joyous, sometimes a chore. Give a gift that's free. A gift that no one else could give. A gift of your legacy!

Consider giving to or requesting a very personal, one-of-a-kind gift this year: heirloom stories. A perfect gift for an adult child who has everything. A perfect gift to request from aging parents who don't know what to give.

A daughter knew that the quilt protected in her mother's cedar chest was her great grandmother's. But until her mother recorded the story of the quilt she did not know how dear it really was. The quilt was a wedding present received the day before her newly married great grandparents climbed onto a covered wagon in Pennsylvania to begin their journey westward to Colorado and a new life. Protected and hand carried across the U.S. the quilt bumped for a thousand miles along the Santa Fe Trail with a wagon train. That quilt is now much more cherished.

People forget that they live in their homes with history all around them. Old tools, equipment and machinery have a history all their own. A woman's gloves, hat or shoes describe an era never to be seen again. Most of the stories go untold, leaving generations without the knowledge of an item's uniqueness, history or sentimental value. History lessons and family stories can be integrated, enjoyed & remembered by any age recipient.

Personal belongings and family heirlooms have so much to say. Have yours told their stories yet? They will be welcome and engaging gifts. Here are some ideas to help you tell those heirloom stories:

  • Tell them to someone who will act as your scribe.

  • Write them down in longhand or on a typewriter or computer.

  • Record them on a tape recorder in your own voice.

  • Have someone videotape you while you hold an item and tell its story or demonstrate its use.

Even a person with Alzheimer's Disease can often share the stories that others may think are lost. If she can still speak, put an item in her hand, and it may remind her of events or uses, people or places. Ask her questions, and you may get more history than you expected.

Start now to preserve those stories, histories and ways. Give or request a loving legacy for any season or occasion.

About The Author

Linda LaPointe, MRA is an ElderLife Matters coach and author of several products to assist families experiencing aging including the pamphlet, Don't Be a Burden: 100 Tips. Get free articles and information at www.SOSpueblo.com.

sospueblo@yahoo.com


"Holidays" in the News:

Washington Post

Toys R Us opens express stores for the holidays
Baltimore Sun (blog)
Toys R Us said that it will open 600 pop-up express stores in malls across the country for the holiday season, including six locations in the greater ...
Toys R Us to operate more pop-up stores this Christmas seasonLos Angeles Times
Toys "R" Us gearing up for holidays with mini storesSouth Florida Business Journal
Toys R Us invades the mall for the holidaysThe Associated Press
BloggingStocks (blog) -Orlando Sentinel -One News Page
all 201 news articles »


CNET

Best Buy Could Be Holiday Gift for Kindle
PC World
Kindle's arrival at Best Buy will almost certainly boost e-reader sales during the holidays—not only for Amazon, but for its competitors too. ...
Kindle arriving to Best Buy in time for the holidaysGeek.com

all 160 news articles »


Analysis: Holiday shipping up in the air in weak U.S. economy
Reuters
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Toy store owner Eric Masoncup is playing a high-stakes game as he readies holiday ...

and more »


Retailers to Step Up Hiring for the Holidays
CNBC
The majority of the nation's largest retail chains are planning to hang up "Wanted" signs this holiday season as they either hold seasonal hiring steady ...
Holiday Job Outlook Stays FlatWall Street Journal

all 10 news articles »


Telegraph.co.uk

Iran to free female American for holiday clemency
The Associated Press
While flights to Dubai, such as the one taken by the Americans' mothers, are much more frequent, they are probably all booked because of the holidays. ...
FP Passport: Catching a ride back homeForeign Policy (blog)
Iran to release female American after 13 monthsThe Associated Press

all 967 news articles »


Ha'aretz

Jewish High Holidays for newcomers
Washington Post (blog)
The Jewish High Holidays begin on September 8, and for synagogues, that means undertaking complex logistical arrangements to ...
Jewish High Holidays a sacred — and busy — time for First Coast rabbisFlorida Times-Union
Jewish High Holidays and the Mosque at Ground ZeroSanta Barbara Independent
OUR OPINION: Rosh Hashana marks start of Days of AweMorning Sentinel
Kansas City Star -Ha'aretz -Reuters Blogs (blog)
all 47 news articles »


FOXNews

The High Holidays begin with Rosh Hashanah
Shore News Today
Rosh Hashanah is the start of the High Holidays, ten days of repentance for Jews that ends with Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, on Saturday, Sept.17. ...
New Year, New Start: Jewish holiday allows for reflectionRed and Black
Rosh Hashanah 2010 – Jewish Holidays 2010Spreadit.org
High holidays with a new rabbi in ChambersburgChambersburg Public Opinion
World Correspondents (blog) -Brooklyn Daily Eagle -Patch
all 693 news articles »


China's economic planner calls for regulations on price hikes during holidays
Xinhua
Complaints and reports from the public will be accepted at hotline phone number "12358", said the official. This year's Mid-autumn Festival holiday is Sept. ...
"Most complicated" holiday plan confuses ChineseXinhua

all 7 news articles »


Holiday Job Seekers Should Start Searching Today
WXIA-TV
ATLANTA -- The holidays may be months away, but if you're looking to snag one of those coveted seasonal jobs, now's the time to get busy. ...

and more »


iPad Will Dominate During Holidays and 2011 — Analyst
Phone Plus (blog)
Um anticipates the iPad, in combination with the new iPhone 4 and iPod upgrades, will make Apple the darling of the holiday shopping season. ...

and more »

Google News

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