In my last post, I wrote all about the anniversary party we threw for Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary. One of the special things we did for them was create a memory book as a joint gift to them (from their kids and grandkids). I had initially thought I would do a "love board" and asked people to send me memories, funny stories, meaningful quotes, and well wishes for the board. However, I quickly realized that I had a larger response than I could fit on a "love board". I also thought about what a hassle it would be to store a "love board" as a keepsake and decided to change my idea to a memory book instead.
I had asked everyone in the family to send me something for the book and to help spread the word to anyone they thought might want to contribute. Like I said above, I had a great response. It was plenty to fill a book, for sure! It actually ended up being kind of overwhelming, so I called my sister and asked her to help me put the book together. We were able to get together one afternoon/evening and finish most of it in that time. We shared a similar vision for the book, and I think it came together well enough that it's difficult to tell which layouts I put together and which ones she created.
Because I wanted to have the book completed in time to give to Mom and Dad at their party, I had told everyone that I wouldn't be accepting entries for the book after the Tuesday before the party on Friday. However, the Williams and the Gorings both sent something after my deadline, and I just didn't feel like I could leave either of them out since they have been friends of Mom and Dad's for decades. Thankfully, on the Friday morning of the party, Mallory helped me put together a few additional pages to include the tributes that had come later than I wanted.
We tried to keep things fairly simple, but I still think it turned out really nice!
The front cover
The first page in the book was the dedication page.
"Leaving a legacy is like tossing a rock into a pond. There's an initial splash followed by ripple effects that continue on once the rock has disappeared. You might have a small rock to throw or a big boulder, but each one of us will leave something behind us. It's up to us to decide how far those ripples will travel! As Christians, we take the idea of legacy seriously. We believe that everything we have are gifts from God, and we're called to manage it well. For Christians, leaving a legacy is about doing things God's way, for His purpose, to bless His people." ~ Dave Ramsey
As we celebrate this wonderful milestone of 50 years of marriage with you, we want to recognize and thank you for the legacy you are creating by the way you live your lives. Your influence is far reaching as you strive to live for the Lord and shine His light and love in your life. The notes in this book are just a very small reflection of that.
Happy 50th anniversary! We love you and are forever grateful for the blessing you are to us!
~ Your children and grandchildren
I'm certainly not going to write out what was written on each page, but I did want record of the dedication page.
The pages weren't in any sort of order because how do you rank or order people who have all played important roles in your life? We did try to group people together on the same page that were from the same season of life or the same location. We also tried to group family together.
Some tributes were long and got a page all to themselves!
The last page tells who put the book together and gives the date.
This project was one of those that kind of took on a life of its own once it got rolling. I had no idea what kind of response I would have - and while I was thrilled that so many people were sending me things - it was also pretty overwhelming. However, once Lisa and I started working on it, it came together easily and fairly quickly.
I'm so glad we did this for Mom and Dad because it is a beautiful representation of their life together. We had people from all seasons of their life send tributes to be included, even if they don't have much contact with them anymore. It made me realize how much of my parents' lives have been dedicated to serving others and growing others. It was inspiring to me to see how far reaching and lasting their influence has truly been.
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