It's hard to get an older person to realize the treasures only they can give their families in way of moments & people long past, to realize they have it in their power to give their children & grandchildren a deeper sense of themselves, their roots.
This year, I approached several older friends with the request that they let me help with their Christmas gift giving. Not replace what they're doing, to do a little something extra, a way to share past moments, serious or silly.
No one wanted to do it. Too much work, too much bother, too much investment of energies when they doubted the kids would care anyway.
Harummph! Instead of getting discouraged, am redoubling my efforts to write a book of intergenerational activities for families, ones that will - simply in the doing of them - build legacies.
No where is this more essential than in family photos & especially now. Back in my parents' day, many priceless photos of long-ago family & friends turned from treasure to trash due to the lack of descriptions of who what where & when. Now, countless are never even PRINTED - they're on phones or tablets or computer files. But rarely printed.
Legacy gifts - how I wish Mom had written out memories of Christmas holidays spent with her Down Under family. I look at my great niece & wish that she could hear her Nan's voice through stories about wonderful Christmases spent with her mother when she was just a wee baby, toddler, child. Many stories were jotted down, but precious few of those priceless times spent celebrating an Australian Christmas. I want to keep those lost opportunities from slipping away from others. Too many others, too many moments.
My hope for the rest of my own days is to embody the three legs of a sturdy stool, each supporting olders in becoming the elders we're all meant to be:
Honoring - helping youngers find ways to honor their older friends & family, helping oldsters honor themselves.
Empowering - helping oldsters remain engaged & energized to the fullest possible extent, whatever their age or physical condition.
Legacy building - helping individuals, families, circles of loved ones leave a legacy to help light the path of present & future generations.
Christmas is an ideal time to think about legacy gifts. Looking for more inspired ways to inspire the oldsters I know to give a gift that truly will keep on giving through the years to come. Not easy, but so utterly worth it!
Great ideas Deev - I start next year compiling the genealogy I have researched and making a hard copy for each of my parents' grandchildren - should keep me busy for the next twelve months!
ReplyDeletehave fun - big investment of time & energies, but a priceless treasure. this past weekend, discussing genealogies with friends, we mused on how popular tracing our lineage is, now that the internet makes it easier to research. i shared a couple of my family lore activities, including how the internet can simplify that, too. they're getting their entire family involved in gathering great & small family stories & photos!
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