Today - a random thought. Since the month of July is about our national heritage and, in Utah, pioneer heritage, I've been thinking about what we have to share.
I'm sure that some of you may think that your life isn't very exciting, glamorous or noteworthy, but I beg to disagree. We all have accomplished something that sets us apart from others. We are all unique individuals with varied talents and abilities. Our life experiences may be similar to others, but it's how we approach those experiences that makes us different.
I wrote a message this month for women at my church, about heritage, that I'd like to share with you, hopefully, it'll trigger some thoughts:
Heritage –
During the month of July, we celebrate two holidays, America’s Independence Day and, a holiday close to the hearts of members of the church, Pioneer Day. We celebrate with bbq’s, fireworks, family get-togethers, music, parades, a myriad of fun events.
We live in a country with great heritage. We belong to a church with amazing heritage, we all belong to families that have left us a legacy for us to build upon and/or change. We live in a land of freedom that allows us to become more, and hopefully, better than our ancestors were. We belong to a church that offers us the tools and knowledge to change our lives and become the best that we can become. We are not relegated to an existence that our parents or grandparents had because of our “place” in society, or our political or religious leanings.
Do we appreciate these things? Do we hold them dear? Are we teaching them to our children and grandchildren? Do we take the time and opportunity to share their “heritage” with them? What does heritage mean to you?
Who we are and where we go in life is often built upon the foundation of our forefathers; whether they were members of the church or not, whether they were immigrants to this great country or were born here, they have left us a legacy that we can emulate and/or learn from.
How much of your legacy do your children and grandchildren know? Do they appreciate who and where they came from? Do they find lessons learned or lives to emulate in their ancestors? Do their ancestors “live” for them?
Our ancestors have much to teach us and we have much to learn from them and teach in turn. Celebrations are good, they’re fun and great opportunities to come together as families, but memories and stories are things to learn from. They are the stuff that binds us together from generation to generation. That is the wonder of heritage.
My challenge to you is to start today to share your gift of heritage with your loved ones. Express your appreciation for this wonderful country, for the gospel and for your family. They are all intertwined in the Lord’s plan to re-establish his Gospel and link families together eternally.
Whether you're a member of my church, another church, or no church, we all have something that we believe in. Something greater than ourselves that, hopefully, lifts us and inspires us to become more; more than we think we're capable of.
Several years ago, I wrote a "program" for my daughter, Kathrine. I wanted her to "get in touch", (you can tell that I was raised in the 60's), with her inner self and find her foundation in this life. I called it, A Journey of Discovery. I had this great idea, (here comes Fred's oh, oh), that Fred, Kathrine and I could all work on it together and share our thoughts and experiences (the 60's again). Well, it didn't go over that well with Fred and Kathrine, but what I realized is that this little program, that consists of questions that need to be answered, was a perfect way to find your heritage.
I'm not a big journal writer, actually, I think I've only written about 20 things over a, huh hum ... 61 year life span. This does not bode well for my descendants. I accept that I'll never be a great journal writer, but I also realized that if I did "A Journey of Discovery", my children and grandchildren would not only know who I was, but who my parents and grandparents were.
It's never too late or too hard to share with our descendants your memories and experiences. Preserve them, share them, allow others to experience them and learn from them. I wrote a little poem several years ago:
Memories Left Unwritten
Knowing what you need to say,
Is not always an easy thing.
So how do I get from here to there
Sweet accomplishment to bring?
Your thoughts and feelings and happenings,
Written for others to see;
Imagine yourself, imagine them,
Then imagine you and me.
We think with our heads, we feel with our heats,
This is the place to start.
Where mind and heart work as one,
Sweet memories to impart.
Memories have great value,
To others and ourselves.
But memories left unwritten,
Are like old pictures left on a shelf.
The years go by, the pictures fade,
The ones that knew are gone.
And the memories left unwritten,
Are like the fading notes of a song.
By: Christie Thomas
Don't miss opportunities to share. Memories left unwritten, are just that. When you're gone, who will remember? There are many things that as a young mother, I said, "I'll never forget that.", or "I'll always remember this." I hate to say it, but it doesn't happen. I don't remember. I forgot.
Today, take the time to make some notes about your sweet children or grandchildren. Share your "random" thoughts with a piece of paper, or a computer document. Start your own "Journey of Discovery" and glory in what you remember and learn.
I'm happy to share Kathrine's program with you, just let me know you're interested and I'll e-mail it over. Good luck and happy remembering.
Tomorrow's post will be about using up those bulk products that often get wasted. Can you say..... Carrot Jam? Yummmmm!
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