Leaving a Legacy of Love... A Timeline of Memories

Love is what makes the world go round. Well, at least my world. There is nothing more inspiring and moving than the memories I have of moments I’ve shared with the people I love. The big moments are always unforgettable; special childhood birthdays, my first paying job, graduating from college, the day I was married, the birth of my children, etc., etc. Yet, the smaller moments are imprinted into my memory with an amazing sense of adoration like no other type of memory.

When I was eight, my dad stood with me in our Alabama backyard and showed me the stars, naming constellations and planets one-by-one. In that moment, he transferred his love for the sky to me and I’ll never forget it. I’ll also never forget the day a few years back when my mother taught me to crochet only one month before she died. I continue to cherish the memories I have of sitting around the family dinner table with my kids and husband, laughing hysterically about silly things until our sides ache. There are countless “small” memories of spending special moments with my closest friends and family and no one will every know how special they are to me unless I tell them.

These moments together make up the ultimate timeline of my most special moments in life. Inside my mind is a vision of the life I’ve lived (thus far). Within my memories are the things that I believe make up who I am and recap the journey I’ve traveled from birth to present. I want my family to know these special moments I hold closest to my heart. I want them to understand why things and memories are special to me and who made them special.

Step 2: Memory Brainstorming

If you are following along with me on this Leaving a Legacy of Love project, I spent dedicated time over the past couple of weeks on photos of myself. Over the next week, I'm spending focused time recapping my most special memories and arranging them on a timeline. Obviously, every special memory can not be noted down in just a week, but I certainly can begin an outline. Exact dates aren’t as important as having the memories noted with an approximate time of when they happened.

Next week, I’ll be organizing my memories in a more detailed and defined way. For now, I’ll take a piece of paper or a small notebook and keep it with me wherever I go. I’ll focus on jotting down general memories, big or small, along with dates to the best of my recollection. This is in a rough draft form, so I’m not going to worry about what order they are in, how detailed are or how pretty they look.

Most of all, I’m going to enjoy thinking about the special moments that have shaped who I am and let them remind me of why I love the people I share this precious life with.

(photos by LadyFarrah here and iheartlinen here)

Leaving a Legacy of Love... A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

When I began blogging, one of my first endeavors was to find a photo of myself to post under my profile. That was easier said than done. Out of thousands of photos on my computer, there are a lot of my kids, husband, our dog, extended family, and on and on... But only a handful of me. Most of those were taken by my kids and let’s just say they wouldn’t win any cover page contests. Half of those aren't even in focus.

It got me thinking, what if I was hit by a bus today and the only photos my kids have of me are on this computer (plus a few childhood pictures in storage). That’s a pretty sad thought. Especially when I think of how precious my photos of my mom are to me since I lost her six years ago. Well, I’m vowing to change that.

I’m putting together a simple step-by-step process of how to leave a legacy of love for my kids. I'll be giving myself a different assignment each week. If you want to follow along with me, we’ll both end up with something our children will cherish forever!

Step 1: Take some photos

This week, focus on getting someone else to take the photos.

Pictures with your kids:
Make sure you get group family shots, one-on-one photos with each child, and at least one shot with you and your kids as a group (no one else). If your children are grown and you aren’t able to get new shots with them right now, spend this week looking through photo albums for special pictures you’ve already taken.

Pictures of you:
Next, get some shots alone. Ask the person taking the photos to get some candid pictures of you being yourself. These will be worth millions to you children some day! Leave the studio shots up to the studio. Do something silly. Laugh! Show your favorite hobbies. Go to your favorite local places. This is a time to capture your personality and a “snapshot” of who you are today. Have fun!

Find a place to store your photos, like a large manila envelope and put them safely inside. This is where you will keep your collection of Leaving a Legacy of Love items. When we’re finished, we'll have something very special for our children that will be priceless in their eyes.

Think about creating a collection for each child. I’m making three sets.

(photo by Caffrey's at www.flickr.com)