I had wanted to give a wonderful gift to my Grandma Burkart, but what do you give to someone who says "Don't buy me anything? I think I have found the perfect gift.....
So, here is what I gave my Grandma a year before she passed away. I had read in a magazine somewhere about the memory box or jar.
You find a pretty box or jar, and some pretty paper if you want. You make a list of memories for that special someone to read, and write them on paper spaced enough that you can cut them apart. Cut them apart, fold them up, and put them in the box or jar.
Wrap it up pretty and give it to them, with a note that they are supposed to read one a day. The idea is for them to read one daily, and be able to make them smile at least once a day.
My Grandma told me a few months later, that she had read them all (in one sitting) and just loved the gift. It brought back memories of when we would spend time with her and Grandpa.
I wrote things like:
I remember the Christmas that we went looking for a tree.
I remember going to summer camp when you were nurse and picking blueberries.
I loved going to pick apples off the trees at the apple farm.
I remember walking across the train tracks that were over a gorge with Grandpa.
Thank you for instilling the love of nature and books in me.
You and I made the most wonderful cinnamon bread together.
You can add a little more sentiment or detail to some of them, but I wanted to give a few ideas.
Funny thing was, after she had passed away and we went to her apartment, I saw the little pink stationary box that I have given her with all my notes. I had left the stationary in it, and put the notes under the little cardboard insert that goes under the paper. As I went to grab the box, 2 cousins said... We already looked in there, there is nothing but a notepad..... I knew better, so looked under the notepad and sure enough there were the notes I had written to her. She had kept that box out in the open on her bookshelf so she could see it and read them again. Let me tell you, my Grandma had 9 kids, 26 grandkids, and numerous great greatkids. She had way too many nik-naks to be leaving everything out. So this was special to her.
As I reread the notes that night, I wept..especially at the one that said - Thank you for picking such a great man to be my grandpa !! (He had passed away 16 years earlier and she missed him terribly at this point).
I keep the box with the other things that I cherish from my Grandma.. What a great gift she had given to me too, through all those memories.... Thank you Grandma. I love you....
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I called this Genburk's Gems because my family and ancestors are Gems, real people with real stories to be treasured. Whether they are famous, hard working farmers, or just someone tryng to live a decent life, they are who made America what it is today. And so did YOUR family.......
