An old friend of mine, we’ll call him “Jerry” owns a trash disposal company.  It’s a well established family-owned business. A big part of the business is roll-off dumpsters.  You know, those big trash dumpsters you sometimes see on peoples driveways when they are undergoing a renovation project.  In all his years in business, Jerry recalls one particular instance of a customer who rented a roll-off dumpster to dispose of his mothers belongings after she had passed away.  What was disheartening, Jerry said, is that EVERY item in the home was disposed of.  EVERYTHING. He thought how sad it was that this man had no interest in keeping anything. “That was their whole lives in that dumpster.  It was so sad.” recalls Jerry.

Turns out, the son lived in a different state and just simply didn’t want to take time to sort through things.  What I wonder is, had the son known some of the stories, known the significance of some of the items, perhaps he would have desired to keep some things.  They could’ve been kept safely in the hands of relatives, or friends, to be cherished and passed on to future generations. If he had known would it have made a difference? Maybe.  Maybe not. Perhaps he did know the importance of some things and just didn’t care. But surely at least some family members, or even distant relatives or friends would have loved to have had some keepsakes.

I do know this: I want to take the time to sort and document items that are special to me.  I want to tell the stories behind them.  After all, they are part of my heritage, which I want to be remembered when I’m long gone. That’s why we created Heirloom Vault – to share our stories, to keep memories alive. Share your stories with family and friends with Heirloom Vault.  Getting started is easy and it’s free! Learn more now

Photo by Alexandru G. STAVRIC%C4%82 onUnsplash

Don’t leave loved ones guessing about your legacy