Family Artifacts: Gateways to the Past

There is a famous saying that says you must understand the past to know where you are going in the future. This is certainly

true when you think about your past and what that will mean for you and your future.

If you take a look at your family’s artifacts, heirlooms and photos, you will find a huge history in your family that you

were not aware of previously. This past will clue you in to a number of things, including what your great-grandparents,

grandparents and parents were like in their younger days to what types of fashions they wore and what they enjoyed doing.

Or, studying family artifacts and records can clue you in to the history of the health of your family and give you an

opportunity to understand what types of illnesses are common in your family and what you should be on the lookout for when

you visit your doctor.

Studying family artifacts will also help you piece together the history of your family. Where did your family immigrate

from? Most likely, artifacts that your family still has will give insight to the lives the family led in their old country

and give an idea of why they decided that risking it all and coming to America was the best choice for them.

You could most likely spend hours looking at old records, artifacts and photos. It takes you back to a time that you were

not a part of and never will know firsthand. However, taking the time to look at all of it will give you an idea of what it

takes to make your future bright.

If you can see examples of mistakes your family has made in the past, you can take those mistakes and in turn find a way to

keep from making those same mistakes in your own life. You can also find a way to have potential family illnesses diagnosed

early and taken care of before they turn into serious problems.

So, if you have not already, schedule an afternoon to visit with your Grandparents about the past and ask them to relive

their good memories with you. Then, ask if you can see some of the mementos and artifacts that they have kept for years.

They will most likely be excited to share their lives with you and be thankful that you care. You, in turn, will find out

interesting facts about the past and where your family came from and where you can help take it in the future.

Understanding the past is indeed the key to understanding the future. Take your opportunity to find out more about the

family artifacts in your family while your Grandparents are still around. They will appreciate your gesture and you will

sit in awe of the stories and events that they have lived through in their lives.

Make Your Own Family Artifacts for Future Generations

Do you remember when you were a child and you found time capsules to be so interesting? I know I did. I can remember looking

at a time capsule filled with artifacts from several decades prior to that time and I just sat and stared in awe of what was

inside.

The artifacts in the time capsule were things like magazines, newspapers, photographs and records dating back to the time

when the time capsule was buried underground for unearthing years later.

Now, if you have kids, think about how much fun it would be for them if you created a time capsule with things that will be

considered artifacts when the capsule is opened in fifty years. You can make it into a fun game where your kids can

brainstorm ideas of what they would want to include in the time capsule that would be good artifacts and examples of this

day in age and a representation of your family.

They will probably come up with a ton of crazy ideas. However, let them figure out what they would like to include and then

whittle the list down from there. Some ideas for artifacts include a current model cell phone, an mp3 player, some photographs,

newspapers and magazines from the current month and possibly some candy that people can look at and compare to the candy in

the future.

The fun will come when your kids will help formulate what you will put in the time capsule and then you can watch the

excitement in their faces when you prepare to bury the time capsule and then cover it for release in 50 years. Be sure to

record it somewhere so your children or their children will be able to open it at that time to take a look and compare what

has evolved between now and then.

This can turn in to a fun and educational game for your children that they will no doubt remember for the rest of their

lives. They could even do a demonstration of it in their classrooms and maybe inspire other children to pursue time capsules

full of family artifacts of their very own.

It will also be fun doing it together. There are so few activities anymore where kids and their parents can really get into

it and do it together all while having fun at the same time. Your kids grow up so fast that it is important to take the time

to help them grow and learn while spending as much quality time with them as you can.

Before you and your children know it, they will be grown up and have children of their own. Seize opportunities to create

lasting bonds that will last more than a lifetime. When they open the time capsules, they will no doubt remember the good

times you had together and your work as a parent will be done. Then hopefully they will carry on the tradition with their

own kids and grandkids.