As I’ve previously written, I was surprised by the few things my Dad kept that were important to him. The things I thought he would have kept he didn’t. Crafts I had made him years ago that I had forgotten about were kept by him.

Writing about my recent struggles with my new grief driven attachment to objects sparked a thought that I’ve been pondering.

Right now, and also when it’s your time, what do you want in your memory box.

A memory box to me is a box of things that remind me and also were important to my Dad that I will keep forever. It may move its way into a corner of a basement or closet eventually, but it’s a small box of everything important and meaningful and symbolizes my Dad.

If my time were tomorrow, what would I hope my loved ones would know to keep in my memory box.

I’m not sure they would know what is important to mw or symbolizes me. We all have so much stuff and things these days.

I guess if it were my time tomorrow, I’d want to be remembered by maybe a craft or painting I made, I’d like the love letters my husband has written me to be in there, maybe a favorite book, the stuffed animal i had as a child?

Thinking of this helps me realize all of those objects I regret not keeping or make me feel regretful are probably a way of some other emotion to present itself.

I am not sure what I’d like to have in my box to be remembered by. But I am sure going to start exploring this idea.

And when it is my time hopefully in many years, all I really want to leave behind is the legacy of night visions.

My Dad started “night visions” for me and for his memory. He wanted to make it a book. I made him a “day visions” book of our memories together. Now with this grief, this chapter will be “visions in the dark”. Hopefully one day I can finally start writing the next chapter.

I’ve asked my Mom and husband to start writing something like this for me.

Ny Dads “Night visions” wasn’t just memory stories. It was everything. His creative mind and expression. Its short fictional stories, poetry, quotes, articles, jokes, drawings

My mom jokes that I want her to write her “memoirs”. She has been reluctant to begin writing and probably doesn’t understand how much it would mean to me. Maybe her mind isn’t able to be expressed this way, or maybe she fears the finality of life (as i do). Hopefully I’ll get her to write something for me.

I’ve asked my husband to start this as well.

I want to pass on to my children and grandchildren a big book of stories and art that represents who their family was and hopefully they will continue the tradition so in 300 years there may be a “night vision” box set of books.

My Dad always said:

“Books, art, and other love is what you leave”