I Found It

As you might remember from this post, I have been looking for ideas for a meaningful keepsake that I might give to my children one day... something that could be a physical reminder of how many people love them and how much celebration there is around their coming into our family. I struggled with the quilt idea since I have never made a quilt before, let alone two! It sounded too much like a project that might never get finished - who needs more of those around?

This week, while driving with J, Bill's wonderful mom, she found the perfect project. At one of my earliest visits to J & D's home (D is Bill's dad), I was intrigued by this amazing piece that hung on one of their walls. As you can see, it is an oval tray with every imaginable knick-knack stuck on it. Over the years that Bill and I have been married, I have looked at that tray over and over and I always see something I had not noticed before. People are drawn to it and I love its story:

When D was about 10 years old (68 years ago!), he and his mother must have had a free afternoon. I wonder if D said, "Mama, I'm bored!" like I've heard so many kids that age say. His creative mama pulled out an old tray, put putty on it and they emptied all the junk drawers of old watches, political pins, keys, hair pins, a toy soldier .... "there was no rhyme or reson for it and I had no idea it would last this long," D said. The picture of little D and his mother quietly pressing seemingly meaningless objects into this tray, not knowing that 68 years later, we would stand and marvel at this project is so beautiful. D's mother died when he was 15 and this is a window into the one who gave life to this gentle grandfather that is D.

What small things could we pull out of our junk drawers, or find at a trinket store that my kids and their grandkids might marvel at 68 years from now? I invite all of you who have been following our journey to place your mark on this project, as a way to celebrate the ones who been growing in all our hearts. Are you in? If so, then:

1. Find two small objects (can be identical or not!) to be placed on two different memory trays. This can be something that represents you, the year 2009, Ethiopia, Africa ... anything! It could be keys, beads, toys, buttons, etc., as long as it is small.
   
2. Write two small notes (one for each child) - a poem, a wish, anything you might want to say to my kids and a description of your object. You can also include a picture of yourself if you want.
   
3. E-mail me or post to get my address.
   
4. Put these in the mail in a box or padded envelope (plain envelopes can be put through machines that break small objects).

I will find two boxes to keep these mementos. I will put the notes and pictures in a scrapbook. When the children are old enough, I will sit with them, tell them about each object and make a memory tray with them.

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PS Bill's aunt B got the ball rolling by giving us 2 keys. These keys wound Bill's grandparents' clock until this year. After winding the clocks for 70 years, the inside of the keys wore out and now they do not wind any more. They are through with their work. But they are beautiful keys and a piece of our family story.

Aunt B also pointed out African roots to this project. Google "memory jugs" and be sure to check out the images.