In addition to passing on the stories and genealogy of a family, it is often common to pass on family heirlooms. Although these items may or may not be of great monetary value, the real value is passing on the story and tradition that comes with the object. It is important to work to preserve both the heirloom and the stories surrounding it.
One great way to display heirlooms is to create a shadow box for it. For example if you have an old tea cup from a china set or an old lace handkerchief, both of these items could be benefited in the display of the a shadowbox. In addition you could include pictures of the person that it belonged to, a letter or a poem by that person. You could also include the story associated with the item.
Another way to preserve the stories for each heirloom is to photograph the heirloom and then write the accompanying story to put into your book of family history. As the item continues to be passed on, the stories could continue to go with it.
Quilts are another common family heirloom. It can be amazing to think of the work that went into the quilt as well as the people who used the quilt. Another interesting thing to do is to learn as much as you can about the scraps that were used to make the quilt. Today quilters often use fresh cloth, but quilts used to be made from scraps in the ragbag. Stories would accompany the quilts, and people would know which piece of fabric represented certain items of clothes or life events.
Genealogy serves as a way to hold onto these stories and to learn more about the people who came before you. It is important that you be able to pass that information on to those who come after you as well. You can create family memories and heirlooms with objects of significance in your family life.
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