At the age of 13 my grandpa boarded an empty railroad car on a train headed for Las Vegas. He and four other boys were on their way to the Borox Mines just east of Vegas to work for the summer. After one week, 12 hours a day of 120 degree temperatures, and back-breaking work, the other boys went back to St. George. Grandpa stayed because he needed the money. He was even given a raise because he was such a hard worker.

When I was growing up I loved this story – it gave me courage to do hard things. Grandpa Paul was no wimp! I’m so glad someone took the time to write down his boyhood experience.

Memory Jars are great for capturing those stories from Grandma and Grandpa or Mom and Dad. (This could be a fun gift/project for Mother’s and Father’s Day – throw in some chocolate too!)

My friend Jan and her husband received these jars from their kids for Christmas. They were asked to pick one paper strip from the jar each week, and then answer the question by writing about it. Jan said it was wonderful to recall childhood and family memories, and create a written record of their experiences. Her husband got so involved he worked on it daily. When completed, you will have some wonderful insights and stories from your parents’ lives that you can share with family members.

How to make memory jars:

1. Print off questions on cardstock and cut into strips. (One copy of questions for each jar/person).
2. Place question paper strips in a cute jar.
3. Tie memory jar with a bright bow and add a tag that says “Mom” or “Dad”.

* After you have all these great family stories you can create an account on ancestry.com and record them there. This is also a fun way to participate in the #timeformom campaign!

 

Shari