Preserving a Legacy

I've always been very close to my all my grandparents. I grew up within walking distance of all their houses and was blessed to be able to visit them everyday if I wished. I loved spending as much time with them as I could and I often reflect back on the wonderful memories I have as a child. Time has passed and I only have one living grandmother. The worse part is she's 2000 miles away.

A year ago I gave my only living grandmother a Story Starter from Cherish Bound. This Story Starter is called When I Was Little. I gave it to her wrapped in a beautiful box with a nice pen and a note from me. In that note I told her how important she was to me and that it was very important for me to know her and remember her and have her stories to pass on to my children. I gave her simple instructions on how to use the Story Starter and asked her to read through the 100's of questions that were this book and answer as many as she could. I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to know who she was at 5 years old, at 10 years old, what she felt like on her wedding day and so on.

A few months passed and I had not received any word from her that she had even broke open the book. I didn't want to pressure her, but I finally asked her one day over the phone if she'd finished writing her stories down for me. To my surprise she said yes she had and was so excited to send me the notes. She was so full of excitement and life. It was like she had gone back and relived some of her most memorable moments and was now sharing them with me. A week later I received her Story Starter in the mail. As I opened it I saw pages and pages of notes, memories and stories on paper. I could see my grandmother's amazing life right before my eyes. She sent some photos and memorabilia to accompany the stories, which made it even more special.

I took all of her stories and photos and published an amazing book through Cherish Bound. I created a hardbound book with beautiful pages filled with her stories and pictures. When I received the finished books in the mail tears filled my eyes as I realized that this women's life has now been preserved and safely stored forever.

I can now share with my children and grandchildren stories about where they come from and who they are. They can find a sense of belonging and have a confidence in themselves by knowing their grandmother through story.

I sent my grandmother her copy of her published book as a Christmas present. She has thanked me countless times since receiving it, but I'm the one who should be thanking her; thanking her for sharing her stories and life. Her amazing lessons and examples will forever change me and my children...and their children.