Is the title of some draft pages for a book I discovered during a family crisis visit out west while cleaning out my mother's desk. I perused a few paragraphs and put them aside to read at a later time. My mother always talked about wanting to write a book and have it published. I will probably put the pages in one of my many family history binders. Her recollection of her childhood in Toronto in the 1920's and 1930's will be useful information to other family members- siblings, grandchildren, cousins. So no book will be published but her efforts will not be wasted! Unfortunately, many children are not so kind as I. Many people clean out their parents' homes and throw out lots of little treasures without a second thought. It's junk! When my mother-in-law died 13 years ago, the grandchildren were given the opportunity to go through her personal items and take things that had meaning to them. For example,one of my daughters took a grey sweater she had knit. She still uses it as her comfy sweater with her PJ's. In our ordinary lives are momentos with meaning. Yes, items need to be weeded out. Items like books can be donated to charities or libraries. But did the person have a collection! I had a workmate once whose father had collected a vast number of books on Judaism- in English, Polish and Hebrew. She donated his collection to a leading university in Montreal. As we all know some books can be out of print and would be useful to students. A new home! My Dad when he passed away in 2007, had a collection of nature products- birds' eggs, stuffed ducks, butterflies etc. that were dontaed to the Heritage Centre in Peterborough- it specializes in hunter and angler history in Ontario. My step-dad has many books on the Masons that will be given to an interested family member or find their way to the local Lodge. If pragmatic, such donations may warrant a tax receipt to help with the estate taxes.
Furniture often finds a new home. Many times will have actually increased in value. I have a desk from my Dad and an old Singer sewing machine from my husband's Mom in my home.
We are always warned when conducting genealogical searches to write up our notes and publish. Family members have often discarded all the efforts of their loved ones.
Even old letters and cards may give some interesting tidbits of long lost ancestors so take the time to review them. I found some letters and pictures my children had written to their grandparents that I will pass on to them.
What do you have in your ordinary life that could find a new home if your children and grandchildren were not interested? Have you had the experience of cleaning out a parental home? What did you save? Did you discover a secret?
Unfortunately, the homes of many elderly people do not include much in terms of valued family mementos or written records and it's no wonder that the children choose to haul anything reusable to the thrift store and trash the rest. The crime is when some valuable records get included in the trash. My kids have been taught to save their documents and other valuables. I've also told them what I consider valuable in my home and that I want those records saved for their grand-kids. Some treasures (like my coin collection) have already been passed on to them for safe keeping. For obvious reasons, my diaries are best kept here until I'm gone.
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