I haven't been in my attic for a long time, if anything is needed then hubs will go up and get it down, but I wanted some items I know are stored up there, and as hubs doesn't know which boxes they might be in, I went up instead... As soon as I got up there I realised that this job was going to be too much for me because there were boxes on top of boxes and I'd be unable to lift them all off to look for the items, in the limited space we have ..but as I got into the loft I spotted a little leather attaché case, that I knew held my late mum's wedding ring and several other mementos from back in the day..what I wasn't prepared for, and had completely forgotten was that in there,... were all the congratulatory wedding cards for my first wedding back in '76.. and looking through them, I saw the names of guests that I'd completely forgotten were at my wedding.. and even some whose names I couldn't recall at all... Jim & Eillen?.. Viv and Brian.?.....who?.. I found the red satin roses that were in my hair and silver horseshoes from the wedding cake . I found my mothers wedding ring which I knew was there in it's little box... but I also found a yellowed full page newspaper article with a picture of my granny, standing up for the rights of the elderly in her area while they were all suffering power cuts and no heating back in the late 70's . Further to that I found a letter my sweet gran had written to me on my wedding day...it was just lovely to read it again, I'd forgotten about it .. she's been dead for almost 40 years now.. and she was very dear to me.. In the case also were several love letters from my ex husband (we divorced in the 80's) while he was at sea ( he was in the Royal Navy while were married)... I didn't know they were there, I thought I'd got rid of all of the letters after I married my current husband 18 years ago . ( they make uncomfortable reading, and bring back some unwanted memories)... I found the very first utility bills we ever got as youngsters ( we were 21 and 19) £38.00 for 3 months of Gas supply..wow more expensive then that it is today in real terms ..... and even an invoice from the removal company for one of our house moves ( we lived in many Married quarters throughout our marriage) ..and even an outgoing inventory for one of them !! I even found 2 little postcards my darling child ( now in her 40's) had ''sent'' to mummy when she'd gone on her first school day trip age about 6 or 7, ..I already have a box load of cards and letters from her, kept carefully in my dressing room, so those 2 runaways were a delightful surprise.. That aside tho'... the little attaché case which is about 100 years old is now showing it's age badly , and looking torn and battered on the corners..... so I decided it was time for it to go, and for me to find a home for much of the contents elsewhere.. Now I'm going to photograph and scan my granny's letter to me on my wedding day and her newspaper article and picture.. along with a few other things , and keep them safe on my computer , and find a new more protected home for the originals... ... but when this morning began I never thought I would be spending an hour or 2 going back to the future, what a journey!!
Thanks Bess..I really wish I had even more things, but circumstances meant I couldn't. The only things I have apart from a very few old family photos.. is my mums' wedding ring..and that letter from my gran, and that newspaper article. I've held onto so much of my daughters' things for her, ... cards, letters, certificates medals, awards, photos in the hope she would love to have them as she got older but sadly she hasn't got a sentimental bone in her body, and she wants none of it. She doesn't even want any of her own photos of her growing up. She keeps telling me to throw them away, but I just can't. I feel when I'm gone and she's my age or older and as an only child , she'd love to see those things as a connection to her past , including my mum and grans' photos, and their few things from that old case, but I really doubt it, and I think when I leave this mortal coil those things will be disposed of very quickly..
We still have a few things from our children who have been out of the house over 20 years, and a lot of stuff from the more recent departees. Some of it may be picked up by son #3 when he comes for a visit in 2 weeks. He now has his first house, and it is fairly large, so he has space for his stuff if he wants it. If he doesn't take it, some will be sent to the thrift store and some will be saved for grandchildren's use. While our daughters are a little sentimental, the boys are much less so, especially son #4. He, like your daughter, wants nothing saved from his childhood.
@Holly Saunders it probably saddens you thinking of the outcome of all those wonderful memories you captured of your daughter. I often go down memory lane myself and wonder what's going to happen as well. Long before my mother passed she gave each of her daughters a photo album of pictures, cards, awards, mostly pictures. I was so touched by her thinking of that idea that I'm doing it for my sons. The albums weren't filled to capacity just what she wanted because I know that she had hundreds of pictures of us. Just a thought I'd share with you.
Thanks for sharing Von..I'm so glad you had the time with your mum and were able to share those things and memories, and to have them to share with your sons. My mum died suddenly and very young so we never had that kind of time to share before she died, and my father burned everything she owned despite my begging to keep some of her things. I'm lucky to have the few things I do have, which is why I wish my daughter would be more interested in having some things to have those memories..
I've always dreamed of buying an old home with an attic full of "history" of previous owners. That would be some interesting exploring.
We all reach a season or seasons in our lives where 'we just have to let go'. As hard as that can be when we do decide to let go 'let it be on our terms' when we have a resounding peace about it.
Well, since I had the time to scan and put on flash drives, that's what I did to most of the photos we had in albums. We've got photos going all the way back to when my wife was a baby (1948) and growing up. There are some of me, as a 5 yr old standing next to my biological father, but most of mine are ones after I got out of the Navy. I had very little for "memories" when I met my wife in early 2000. Since meeting her, up to now, we've taken a LOT of photos and video of places we've went to...….like Key West, Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, FL, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone N.P, zoo's, museums and other things. I do have a Medal Case of the Ribbons/Medals I got while in the Navy. We use to really be into taking photos and video and will do it again, once we move. My wife did have me toss the photos of her first and second marriage, as well as the boyfriend she had before meeting me. Just like I don't have any photos of my previous marriages to my "ex". We have numerous photos of us with my wife's family.
What I find sad is that these things from the past are part of your daughter's history...and if all that is thrown away...it's like "erasing" her history.
She may have a change of heart later, Holly. I know I didn't appreciate old mementos until I got older myself. Now I'd love to sit with my grandparents again and ask them a million questions. Seems like if I stumble across old photos I can sit for hours remembering the why and when of it. It's nice to go back in time, if only in our thoughts.
Thing is, there are those that don't want to remember their past, no matter how good it was. My SIL (wife's sister) got rid of all of her husbands things. Things weren't very good in their relationship before he died. He even moved out, she removed her wedding set, then, when he got to sick to take care of himself, he moved back in. Not to long after moving back in, he was hospitalized, put on Life Support, but his wife and their daughter decided to take him off.