Family History for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day--a great time to tell your love story! If you don't tell it, who will?

Recently two young women and sweet friends of mine shared their love story, and I loved it. I was inspired. If they could do it, so could I.

When my great-niece got all her wedding pictures from the photographer, she immediately created wedding books published at an online photo book site. She made several copies and gave them to various family members. What a wonderful keepsake for herself and her children. Don't you know her young kids love perusing that book.

The cover of my great-niece's book.

As I said, when I saw C-Jaye's book, I was inspired to do my own. I had my wedding photos, but they were in an album that was coming apart. Better to put them in a book like my niece did, preserving and sharing with this generation and future generations. 

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The cover of my book.

​My husband and I had those wedding photos as well as a few pictures from our honeymoon. We also collected keepsakes on our trip such as ticket stubs, matchbook covers and postcards. I scanned all those to put in my book as well. When I began assembling the book, I discovered more history that I hadn't even thought about. Take a look--

We were just two poor college students who really didn't have any money to take a trip. But we did have the money to go to San Antonio for the 1968 world's fair--Hemisfair. Our first night was spent in Lubbock, and we snagged the postcard from the hotel room. This is a history lesson of the 1960's in and of itself. Take a look at the decor for starters. I'm sure my female friends will take note of the huge hairdos. Look at the bellhop and how he's dressed. Notice the cash register. See the boxes for keys behind the counter? And the tobacco case as you enter the dining room. This postcard simply fascinated me, and what a bonus history lesson for my children and grandchildren. It's a snapshot of the 1960's with plenty of social commentary as well.

​But wait! there's more!!

As we crossed the state, we also stopped in Houston. More history for future generations. Parking for 50 cents--imagine that. And the Astrodome was brand new. We couldn't wait to take the tour. As I said, I was just trying to make a photo book of our wedding celebration and honeymoon. Who knew it would also be a glimpse into 1960 Americana.

More ways to do your story~

My other young friend, Sara, is writing her love story for her children. She put excerpts from her essay in her blog, so I was able to read her sweet story.

So if you don't have photos of your courtship, wedding or honeymoon, simply write your story. How I would love to have my grandmother's story of her courtship written in her own hand. What a treasure that would be. 

And still more! An oral history...

My daughter-in-law and son met on a hiking trip with a church group. They were leaders/counselors of the group of young people. They traveled to Colorado and besides falling in love with my son, Lisa fell in love with the Colorado Rockies and the beautiful aspen trees. She saved the terrain maps of the trip, and framed them after she and my son were married. Because she was so enamored of those beautiful trees, when they took a family vacation to Colorado, she took pictures of the aspens. Then her sister enlarged one of the photos poster-size, mounted it on canvas, and enhanced the painting further with oil paints. It's beautiful, and hangs over their fireplace. And she can tell the story over and over.....to her children as well as any guests in her home who ask. I can imagine her young children request, "Tell us the story, Mommy, about how you and Daddy met. Tell us again." Well, I'm a dreamer. It probably doesn't happen, but it sounds good in this blog. (Insert chuckle here.) Seriously, oral history is pretty special, so if you have any artifacts or heirlooms from your younger days, tell your grandkids the story behind them!

Colorado aspens over the mantle.

So there you have it. Three ways to tell your story: 1) You can tell it in pictures; 2) You can write it and share; or 3) You can gather your grandkids around and tell them the story.