We cherish the heirlooms from our ancestors, but are we remembering to create heirlooms for our descendants? Today, begin creating and collecting items your descendants will preserve and cherish. Consider these heirloom opportunities:

Journals

Journals are a wonderful heirloom. They record your personal history – often, in your own hand. As you write about the big and little things in your life, you will paint a picture of who you are so that those descendants who don’t have the opportunity to meet you, can feel as if they know you.

Letters

Today, most of our communications are digital, but there’s still a certain thrill that comes with receiving a letter in the mail. Mail is tactile. It’s something that we can hold on to. It’s not going to get lost, deleted, or ignored.

Consider writing letters to your loved ones so that they can have words from you to cherish. Remember, handwriting adds to an heirloom’s significance.

Recipes

Do you remember lazy days making food with your family? Preserve your favorite recipes, whether they were your ancestors or your own creation. Record these recipes and preserve them. Handwritten notecards can make reciepes meaningful. Also consider the benefits of creating a custom recipe book. Typed recipes cannot be misread as easily as handwritten ones. Additonally, multiple copies are easily available.

Souvenirs

Souvenirs are purchased as a reminder of a significant trip or event. Record the stories surrounding souvenirs, and you’ll be creating a unique travel log that your descendants can enjoy for generations to come.

Handmade Items

Gifts made by hand are unique and special. If you love to crochet, sew, quilt, draw, sculpt, or otherwise create – preserve these items. Something made by your hands will stay close to your descendants’ hearts.

Photographs

Digital photographs are easy to share. However, there are many benefits to having hard copies of photos. Print copies of your favorite photographs and preserve them in scrapbooks, photobooks, or custom calendars that can be kept year after year to show how your family has grown over time. Your own personal touch added to these albums will make them all the more cherished.

What’s your most cherished heirloom that you’ve received from your loved ones?