A lot of people think only photos, of loved ones who are gone, hold memories. What holds a memory for me is a phrase that person would use and I hear it from someone else, a vase that was left to me and I think of what flowers it might have held, a tablecloth and the family that sat around the table that it covered, a very old rocking chair and who in the family may have been rocked to sleep in that chair. You get the idea. I love all the old things, from eras I really don't know anything about. I am drawn to them for some reason and try learn about them. I imagine what transpired while I look at all these things. I always hope that they were happy times, for the people that possessed them. I have this prayer book that my mother carried on her wedding day in 1953 (last picture). It was in a little better shape then. When she was alive I asked her who the book belonged to. She told me it belonged to her great -grandmother, who read certain pages from the book everyday. My mother then opened it up and showed me how worn the pages were. She felt honored to carry the book on her wedding day, had it wrapped in white satin, had orchids on top of it and that was her bouquet. This is a memory for me from having this book. What a great day that must have been for her. I imagine seeing the black and white wedding photos in her colors of amethyst and white, and how beautiful she was, as well as everything else must have been, on that January day in 1953. Never let go of your memories, that is who you are and keeps your family by your side every day.
The prayer book is called Key to Heaven. I researched it and found out it was published in 1907. The spine of the book is worn, it's leather.
These are some of the pages that she read everyday. The oils from her fingers wore away the pages.
Another section of the prayer book that was read everyday.
This is what the book looks like today. It's old and worn from being stored for 60 years. I am going to
re-cover it in the same white satin and display it in my home.
When I researched the book it was described as having real gold leaf on the pages. It's barely there now from the pages being turned everyday.
A picture of my mom and dad on their wedding day. She is carrying the prayer book in her left hand.
0 comments:
Post a Comment