The Words of Our Lives

      “Up in the garret stood four little wooden chests in a row, each marked with its owner’s name, and filled with the relics of girlhood.” ~ Little Women.

      I’m sure that most of you are familiar with the recent movie version of Louisa May Alcott’s book, Little Women. One of the most touching scenes shows Jo looking through her sister’s trunk after she has died. Yellowed copies of the March sister’s Pickwick Papers, a paper Christmas star, and fragile handwritten slips of paper (or 'ephemera,' as it is known to collectors) speak volumes about Beth's life. Words...worthy to be protected, preserved, and read often in remembrance. 
      Most of us have heard about hope chests, but have you ever thought about buying a chest to store letters and journals in––a sort of “note chest?” I was trying to think of something significant to do for my daughters' golden birthdays, when the idea of a note chest came to mind. A golden birthday occurs when your age corresponds with the day you were born. We gave each girl her own chest for storing personal letters and journals. It’s a new tradition and one that has become necessary with all the ephemera that family writing generates. I found a wide variety of styles, sizes, and price ranges for chests at Hobby Lobby. We settled on a medium suitcase size with lovely swirls of tooled leather.
      I especially like this idea of a note chest, because my son can have his own as well. Eric loves filling scrapbooks with mementos of his life (boys can be sentimentalists, too). He’s an old-fashioned scrapbooker, however, pasting the paper souvenir right onto the bare page. No need for complicated embellishments here. 

      I currently store letters, tributes, birthday notes, and cards in a binder with plastic sleeves. I plan to duplicate all of the “Novak Ephemera” for each child (just like my mother did with our family photos). It’s important to make the words of our lives accessible to our children, and to encourage them to read those words of remembrance often.

     We are told in scripture that the Lord is actively involved in listening to conversations that bring Him to remembrance. With a note chest we can be sure that precious pieces of paper – the words of our lives – are given a prominent place to be stored, almost like the ark of the covenant. Somehow it makes remembering a more sacred and hallowed experience. “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name” (Malachi 3:16 NASB).  

8:41 PM - May. 21, 2006 - post comment

Fabulous idea!

Just today my daughter found a box of my journals, she was looking for a blank notebook to write story in... she found herself engrossed in my writings, mostly ramblings, thoughts, prayers... but she did not see it that way. She proclaimed that I shoudl put all these thoughts in a book, like Max Lucado! But, it did get me thinking, that I should find a way to store them for future reference, maybe I will write a book, or maybe one day my daughter will gain inspiration from them... So, I cam online to blog about it.... and God, in His infinite wisdom, always knows what we need when we need it... I was so blessed to find information about you and a contest to win your book and your latest blog... a cedar chest for notes... fabulous!! Thank You!

Be Blessed!!

annointed - 11:07 PM - May. 21, 2006

Keepsake writing

Beautifully said...AGAIN.

Our Jasper is graduating from our homeschool in June and I am having friends and family write letters to her and secretly send them to me (if they e-mail, I have a copy/paste document going). During our little ceremony, I'm going to present her with a notebook full (hopefully) of these letters of love, prayers and advice. Can't wait!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Buckeyeblog - 6:21 AM - May. 22, 2006

Excellent Post Jill!

Hello Friend!

I came across your blog post today after reading your Bugs article on Crosswalk. I clicked on your blog from your bio. You are truly a gifted writer. So glad to see you writing for God's glory as revealed in His creation.

I love the idea of a keepsake chest for writings. I especially love the part of your post about God wanting us to remember. He says that same thing all throughout scripture: Remember! From Genesis to Revelation, important things as well as daily happenings, history, and heartbreaks are recorded. And, God being a Writer, THE Writer, and we being created in His image - it makes sense for us to be writers as well. And to be writing about Him and to Him and for Him must do His heart good. :) Our personal history is actually HIS STORY written on our lives. Our children should know what that is. Thanks for the encouragement to do just that. I really am spurred on to make sure I give them each a "book of remembrance" for that purpose.

Thanks so much Jill!

P.S. I see my beautiful "Hope" pillow everyday and think of you.

Deborah

devdoordeborah - 12:16 PM - May. 23, 2006

What a beautiful tradition!

And, as always, an inspiring post! Love ~ Patricia

PatriciaWHunter - 6:33 PM - May. 23, 2006

Hi,

I looked at the Hobby Lobby website but did not see any beautiful trunks like you describe. Do you mean a store you walked into? I have been searching for trunks for my children's journals. I don't want to use cedar because I was told over years cedar will dissolve ink. I was thinking I'd have to settle for Rubbermaid!
The book Stepping Heavenward reminds me so much how important journaling is. I wish my grandparents would write in the heritage writing journal I gave them. I am too far away from them to hear all their stories.

AmoScribo - 6:39 PM - Jun. 4, 2006

Links

Friends