Keeping family traditions and keepsakes alive in your family is a special, personal way to remember family members before you and to honor their lives. It’s also a wonderful way to teach your children to honor traditions and the special memories that remind us of who we are and what your family was all about. When a representative from True Value hardware contacted me about participating in a program that does just that, I knew I wanted to get on board and be a part of something special. In their recent campaign to honor families and their traditions, I was asked to speak about a family heirloom that was given to me and how I have honored it in my home and life. I spoke to my mom about this, because I wanted to make sure I chose something heartfelt and special to our family. One treasure that we both agreed would be perfect is a photograph I have of my grandpa Louis, her father. My grandfather passed away when I was little, so hanging onto personal pictures reminds me of the special man he was. In my childhood photo album, I have pictures of him with myself and my brother. I also remember my mom telling me how much he adored my grandmother and the stories of how they met. The particular photograph I share with you today, is even before they met. My grandfather had a dream of becoming a baseball player. In the mid 1930’s, he lived that dream and was the catcher for a semi professional team in Brooklyn, NY. The picture you see below, is my grandfather in his catcher’s uniform. I decided to frame this very personal keepsake and include it on our shelf in the family room. I wanted it to be on display as a constant reminder of family and following your dreams. I love showing our kids this picture, because it always sparks conversation about relatives that have passed and keeping memories alive in our hearts. When I talk to them about my grandfather’s work ethic and striving to achieve his goals, it becomes another reminder to them that dreams can happen and that they do come true.

This wonderful keepsake sits inside a modern glass frame and is surrounded by some of our favorite accessories and treasures. The tortoise vase is a piece we found when visiting Italy. The framed watercolor painting that sits behind my grandfather’s photograph was a gift from my in laws and is a scene from one of our favorite cities in Italy. The unique irony behind all of that is that my grandfather was Italian, just like my in laws. When I first met my mother and father in law, they loved hearing about my grandfather’s Italian heritage and the city where his family grew up. It turns out that my grandfather’s family lived close to the Italian city where my in laws currently live. The special meaning behind sharing stories of our families is that we can honor their lives and remember them much after they are gone. Their lives go on through our conversations and memories.  They will always be alive in our hearts.

When True Value sent me a link to their video about honoring family heirlooms and traditions, it was very touching. I have watched it several times and I would love for you to see it by clicking HERE. Once you watch the video, leave a comment at the end of this post, telling me about your favorite family heirloom and how you honor it in your home.

True Value is also participating in the pinterest pin it to win it challenge. Show how you keep family heirlooms in the family HERE!