Things To Leave Behind

Recently, I was part of a really interesting post-dinner conversation with a group of people – both old friends and new acquaintances. The subject was – what are some you can leave your loved ones, that they will take with them through the stages of their lives and not end up as “stuff they aren’t sure what to do with?”

These things aren’t necessarily only to be gifted once you are gone, just wehen the time feel right.

Important Papers

Your first passport, with the interesting stamps of the wild and wonderful places you visited, is an interesting talking point and may teach those who came after you that the world has always been a vast interesting place, and exploring has always been good for the soul. Similarly, an original copy of a birth certificate, marriage certificate or degree is light, easy to store and has actual handwriting on it, which we hypothesised is going to be rarer and rarer in times to come!

If you have any love letters or aerogrammes, pass on some of the best – there is so much romance in the fact that people used to keep their love alive through such a medium, rather than Facetime and email.

Actual photographs

It is incredibly convenient to scan old photos and store them digitally (and we all should, in case of emergencies), but passing on an actual photograph is a beautiful thing – don’t only choose posed ones – photos of loved ones spontaneously laughing or being silly are equally valuable to have on display, and often represent the person far more accurately! Old photos show their age, which in the case of old photos, is precisely the point.

Small personal items

Jewellery is an obvious one here, but any thing you used on a regular basis has meaning – beautiful old hair clips, or paint brushes, or tools or the like will serve as a tangible reminder of a person and their habits. The value lies in the sentiment.

Every day receipts

It’s hard to believe that a bottle of milk used to cost 4 cents, or even that receipts used to be handwritten, in beautiful, legible script. These little reminders, if you have them, can be really interesting for all generations.

Music

While you can’t leave old record necessarily (also vinyl has made a huge comeback), do write a list of the top 10 songs of your life for them to refer to – music to live, love, laugh and cry by.

Recipes

Your tastebuds remember flavours over a lifetime – share all the family recipes (preferably hand written) with all the generations of your family – not only the special occasion dishes, but also those that are world famous in your family – every family does chicken soup differently, and every family knows they have the best version!

What other things would you add?