What happens to our memories
When tomorrow comes to call?
Do they sit around discussing
If we remember them at all!
Or do they gently fall asleep
And doze off in their dens
And dream of days when we may come
To wake them up again!
Memories
By Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2026
All rights reserved
What do you think about your memories? If you are a seasoned citizen like me, have you tried to preserve them in some way for your family and friends? If you are young, have you taken time to ask the older folks in your circle if they will tell you theirs? I had the privilege in my own case to sit down with my Great-grandmother as she opened her scrap books and showed me pages filled with memories including a visit to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair! With my dad, I often listened to him telling stories of growing up in New York in the 1920′-30’s. My favorite was of the time he was about eight and my aunt Helen who was seven at the time, were sent to the butcher to pick out a live chicken for the Sunday dinner. Then they waited as the man ushered the chosen bird into eternity, plucked its feathers, wrapped it in butcher paper and put it in a sack to carry it home. They each held one handle keeping the bird dangling in between, so no one had to touch it! In the last ten years of dad’s life, I came across a wonderful book titled, “Letter’s From Dad” by Miles Everhart. After reading the book, I bought three copies; one for each of our sons and one for my dad. This book gives the story of the author’s realization of the value of family memories, and he gives a nice template to use for either yourself or others. I am sure that there are other great resources out there that do similar things, so if you have any other suggestions, please leave them in the comments. Have a blessed and memorable week everyone!
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Wow Pastor Pete. A fantastic summary of how we can draw out and preserve the memories of our loved ones. An idea rattling around in my head started with helping an 82-year-old neighbor collect and then publish his recollections. He now gives his books away to family and friends. We spent time together (fun visits!). Tidbits of history popped out, and I prompted with more questions. He allowed me the privilege of typing his answers. Since then, I’ve thought about ways to help others (e.g., children, caregivers, etc.), creating process instructions and prompting questions. Perhaps call the free download ‘Shoebox Memoirs’ because of the way many store old photos, letters, cards, and notes. Thanks for the motivation to turn thoughts into action.
You are welcome Grant. Yes putting our old photos into digital format took me about a month of several hours per day. Then, I divided them into files by age and loaded them into 228 gig thumb drives for our sons and an external hard drive for me. I don’t think I would have the energy to do that again.
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