Kathy Thomas Write On Legacy

Are your pictures worth a thousand words?

The expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” means if the picture tells the story, there is no need for words. While for some pictures this is true, I propose sometimes a photo warrants a thousand words. How about your family photos? Do you date them, identify the people in them, or describe the event that inspired it? How do you ensure those precious memories will endure?

As a young girl, I remember that every time I visited my grandmother’s house, I would pore over the basketful of family photos. I loved looking at those old pictures of my dad, uncles, and cousins. I learned the stories behind them from my grandma. Years ago, we retrieved a very old photo album from my husband’s family. It contained numerous old, black and white pictures of ancestors long passed. The problem; not one person was identified! It might as well have been a book of strangers. It was meaningless to us. This raises the question: How will future generations view your photos?

What are you doing with your priceless pictures? Are they residing on your phone? Have you downloaded them to your computer, or uploaded them to the cloud? If so, are they searchable? Maybe you’ve even printed them in a photobook. Great! If not, how will those irreplaceable family memories be preserved?

I intend for our grandchildren to know their ancestors and their stories, so my husband and I have committed to producing a family legacy book, complete with genealogies, photos, and family heritage stories. It’s our way of leaving a legacy of faith for the next generation. What records of your life stories and photos will you leave behind? I encourage you to make these pictures and the precious memories associated with them available to your loved ones. 

Your pictures represent stories that need telling—a written narrative that will last for generations to come. If you don’t have time to produce a photo book, consider writing a letter. I recently presented a workshop entitled, Family Snapshot Letter, with The Whole Story Source team. The idea was for people to select a photo and write a heartfelt letter to a person in the photo or to someone about the photo. It turned out to be an emotionally powerful event. Since then, I’ve committed to writing an accompanying letter with every special occasion card I send. You can create your own family tradition by writing legacy letters to your loved ones. These can be cherished now and discovered later by future generations!

Kathy Thomas Write On Legacy

Have you got mail?

This blog post was originally published to The Whole Story Source—Legacy Letters on May 30, 2019.

Do you like to receive mail? I do. Recently, I opened the mailbox to find what looked like a handwritten card. Unfortunately, the machine generated note invited me to learn more about prearranging my cremation! Most of us still get letters once a year at Christmastime—what are often referred to as brag letters. Before modern technology and social media, news and information from friends and family were often sent as a letter. Years later, these letters become precious keepsakes. Unfortunately, handwritten letters have nearly become obsolete.

These days, if I want to know what’s happening with my family, I have to go to their social media page. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s impersonal. And because I never developed the habit of regularly checking the site, I find it a bit frustrating when the rest of the world knows what’s happening with my kids before I do!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-technology. When text messaging became popular, I surprised my kids with how hip I was. My daughter exclaimed to her friends, “I got a text message from my mom.” It was either a pleasant surprise or a horrified response to an invasion of her privacy! Advancements in technology allow us to communicate at lightning speeds with people near and far.

Recently, my son said, “Mom, some girl in Ethiopia is trying to contact you via Facebook messaging, she says you’re her godmother.” My mind raced back to our time serving there. Yes, I was godmother to the daughter of some dear Ethiopian friends. That was nineteen years ago and Ebbisee would now be 17 years old. Her father died shortly after we left, and her mother managed to raise three kids in difficult economic circumstances. We had a great online reunion, but I really owe Ebbisee a tangible letter telling her how I remember her family and the qualities I admired about her father.

Letters can be read over and over again, savored when you sit down, or discovered again at a later date.

I like the convenience of sending a text without having to bother someone with a phone call. Or shooting a quick message to my kids. But rarely do I sign, Love Mom, anymore. At least I could do that with an email. Instead it’s all kissy face and heart icons. I may post a picture of a special family event on social media, but we need to realize that our heartfelt messages will end up buried at the bottom of numerous other posts, never to be retrieved again. Our heartfelt thoughts and precious memories need to be communicated in a more permanent form.

I’m suggesting it’s time to revive the lost art of letter writing. People tend to save letters. They can be read over and over, savored when you sit down with a cup of coffee, or discovered again at some later date. The next time you send a text, post, or email consider sending it in the form of a letter. Your recipient will be delighted!

Be sure to check out the letter-writing event on the News and Events page.

Kathy Thomas Write On Legacy, Write On Writing

Why do you write?

LegacyThe other day my grown daughter commented, “Mom, you are always writing for someone else, why don’t you write for your family?” She proceeded to remind me about some children’s books I had started years ago when she was growing up. Since then, her words keep ringing in my ears. It got me questioning, “Why am I writing?” How about you?

Why do you write? Who do you want to read your words? It’s not an easy answer. It takes some soul searching. I pondered, “Am I seeking recognition from others?” Or to feel good about myself because I made someone else feel good?” The truth is, there are far more people that will forget who I am than those who will remember me. But to my family, I’m pretty important. Especially to my young, impressionable grandchildren! I am blessed! You are important too!

In this busy world, we strive to make a name for ourselves, to make our lives matter. While you may not know it yet, your life already matters. It matters now and for generations that will come after you. Your children’s children, and their children may want to know what you were like. They will seek to glean what they can learn from your life, your struggles, your successes, your values, your faith. They will wonder what qualities or characteristics of yours are similar to theirs. Your life, good or bad, is a great teacher.

LucyMy husband has a journal from his great grandmother, Lucy, who lived from 1878 to 1960. It is entitled: “Seventy Years of Living.” It is profoundly interesting reading about what life was like, but not nearly as interesting as the lessons we learned from her life and the characteristics I see present in her great, great grandson! We learned of a young couple who were intent on building a farm and a lifestyle. They were entrepreneur types always expanding at great financial risk. Unfortunately, they borrowed rather than saved to have the things they thought they needed. They were particularly impressed with the latest and greatest inventions of the time—like a flush toilet for example! Dean’s great uncle, the oldest of the children, complained he’d have to run upstairs and refill it with water every time anyone flushed! Funny? Not so very much. They lost the farm. But they endured and that’s the real lesson.

LucyJournalExerptOn another occasion, we were cleaning out his grandmother’s attic and discovered a gorgeous family photo album. As we looked through the obviously well-preserved document of history, nameless faces stared back. Not a single photo was named or dated. It was meaningless to us! It might as well have been a book of strangers! We passed it on to another relative who didn’t know them either. Our children will never know who from that side of the family they might resemble. Please, label your pictures! Someone will appreciate it one day.

What legacy are you leaving? What treasures of knowledge are you passing forward? Are you being intentional about making a historical record? If so, don’t leave it as a file in your computer! Who is going to search through that thing to find your treasures after you pass? Print out those stories. Never mind if you don’t have archival paper! My husband’s great grandmother Lucy’s journal was a typewritten carbon copy on cheap paper and it’s still holding up! Print it out and pass it out, that’s the way to back up your documents!

Interestingly, the end of Lucy’s journal reads: “But I will do my very best to accept whatever is to be my future, with all the cheerfulness and fortitude possible. I only ask that I may be able to keep what little mentality I have, and care for myself to the end of my days—but I will try to say—Thy will, not mine.” After living a full life having gained and lost, she concluded that was her most important lesson in life was to trust God.

I’ve determined I want to leave a legacy of faith for the next generation. I want my grandchildren, and future great grandchildren to know they have been born into not just a Christian heritage, but into a family that knows and loves God. I want them to know the faithfulness of God in providing for us, of trusting when you can’t see the reason, and our deep love for them even though we don’t know all of them yet! We want them to know we are praying it forward for them. What will future generations read about your life?

Write On!

Psalm78