Tiffany
7-8-12, 12:27pm
I have read here many times that things are not our family, and we don't need things to trigger memories. (And I've read in some books about hoarding that the idea that things trigger memories is a symptom of hoarding.) It has never sunk in to me, because I love the idea of having something that belonged to my family members.
My uncle passed away suddenly a few years ago. None of us were ready for that. He was a musician and wrote gospel songs that he sang at our church. One of my most cherished gifts is a notebook of his lyrics that my aunt gave me.
My cousin inherited his guitars, and she plays some of them. But she does not play his favorite guitar, and recently she gave it away to a talented musician and evangelist who was visiting their church. It was a great act of faith on her part, because the guitar was an important part of her father's life. Incredibly to me, the act of giving it away has not diminished the memories of my uncle and his music. Instead, the fact that it is still being used in a way that my uncle would have loved, rather than being stored and unused, has become a part of my uncle's story even after he has gone.
I can't adequately express how I feel about it. I was sad at first, but thinking about this gift has blessed me more than her keeping it ever would. I think it is because knowing she had it only reminds me that my uncle is gone, but knowing the guitar is being played by someone who appreciates it the way my uncle did reminds me of my uncle and his talents and all the times I listened to him sing.
Just a story that I thought people here would appreciate.
My uncle passed away suddenly a few years ago. None of us were ready for that. He was a musician and wrote gospel songs that he sang at our church. One of my most cherished gifts is a notebook of his lyrics that my aunt gave me.
My cousin inherited his guitars, and she plays some of them. But she does not play his favorite guitar, and recently she gave it away to a talented musician and evangelist who was visiting their church. It was a great act of faith on her part, because the guitar was an important part of her father's life. Incredibly to me, the act of giving it away has not diminished the memories of my uncle and his music. Instead, the fact that it is still being used in a way that my uncle would have loved, rather than being stored and unused, has become a part of my uncle's story even after he has gone.
I can't adequately express how I feel about it. I was sad at first, but thinking about this gift has blessed me more than her keeping it ever would. I think it is because knowing she had it only reminds me that my uncle is gone, but knowing the guitar is being played by someone who appreciates it the way my uncle did reminds me of my uncle and his talents and all the times I listened to him sing.
Just a story that I thought people here would appreciate.