We need to leave bread crumbs for our family yet to be born


My brother sent me an interesting article on family history.

For example, look at this quote from it:

"...And I'm convinced many  of our ancestors left clues for us, like Hansel and Gretel's bread crumbs, so we could learn to love them….And then we need to do a 180-degree turn and find ways to leave similar "bread crumbs" from our own lies so those who follow can work their way back to us." 

I love it! I've long since suspected this from reading some of my Mom's journals. I'm sure some of her subtle messages were meant for us to know.

Sort of on this same note, I just started a private food blog 29 days ago with the thought that maybe some day my great grandchildren will want to know what we ate back in 2013.

This author goes on to give more specific advice:
"We need to give away keepsakes to special relatives while we're still alive, not just expect our kids to divvy the things up when we're gone.

We need to tell our stories to the young and impressionable.

We need to let people take our photographs when they point a camera at us and not turn away or complain.

We need to let our descendants see, touch, and breathe the legacy we leave."

But the quote that shouts to me the most from that article, is this one:
"If I want my children and grandchildren to know those who live in my memory, then I must build the bridge between them. I alone am the link to the generations that stand on either side of me." 

If you'd like to read the entire article go here.

My mom use to also write in the margins of books she was reading. She always had a pen in her hand or right beside her as she read. I find myself doing that too. Bread crumbs that I cherish now.

Just after writing the sentence above, I pulled one of Mom's books off our shelf, thumbed through it and look what I found. Those are her faint pencil underlines.

8 comments:

grandmapeg said...

Thanks for the bread crumbs analogy. I've never thought of it that way but I really like it! I've just recently started reading more ancestor stories and I am fascinated by it all. Thanks for getting me interested in it by reading your stories.

Richard said...

Just when I was about to concede you were fairly " normal," you throw in a reference to a private food blog that will help your descendants know your eating habits back in 2013...

Grandma Honey said...

Richard, with all due respect, wouldn't you love to know what your Great Grandparents ate? Besides, my blog is not just about dinner. It started that way but has morphed into lunch and our daily activities….just trying to show what our like "was like back then."

Scrapally said...

This is another wonderful blog post that gives us "bread crumbs for thought!" I truly want my kids to know my grandparents and others that they never got to meet...I'm trying! I think the food blog sounds fun too! REAL bread crumbs! You go girl!

Anonymous said...

So many times I've wished I could ask my mother, my grandmothers, my aunts things that are lost forever since they are no longer with us. Now that I'm older, I have all kinds of new questions that never occurred to me when I was young. Unfortunately they will remain unanswered in this lifetime.
darlene

Anonymous said...

A friend of mine who was a hospice worker, and was dying herself, told me before she died that she intended to leave as much of herself behind as she could. She left tape recordings of her singing and talking. Left diaries, journals, her poetry, letters to her loved ones. She left her artistic work. Her favorite music all put together on one CD. And of course, lots of pictures. She wanted her unborn grandchildren and great grandchildren to know her.
darlene

Richard said...

Yes, I have to admit I would like that information. In fact, I wish I had moms tallerini recipe just so I could prove to my kids such a thing exists. I'm still trying to forget the stuffed bell peppers and fried liver, but the rest of it was good. Especially her enchiladas.

Lisa said...

I really enjoyed reading this post! Lots of good take aways to incorporate into our lives! Interested in seeing your private food blog! : ) That's a good thing to do. I want to do one with private stories but don't feel like a public private blog is safe. Too bad because the blog sites are so well equipped & user friendly, I have no idea how to make nice pages without it. Thanks again for the insights!

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