Gifts from our Grandparents & Elders

Hello from Lisa at The Object Diaries Project: Stories About Human Connection Told One Secret Object at a Time.

A quick story about an object I'm thinking about this week:

Yesterday, my family emptied a storage locker that used to belong to my grandfather. 

My grandfather had a profound impact on my life. He was very much a giver, especially of time. He often picked me up from school and took me to the park to play, or he'd give me and my sister a little drawing lesson. I don't have many physical items or photos to remember this meaningful time with my grandfather, so every little thing means a lot. 

Well, yesterday, while cleaning out the storage locker, a little scrap of paper turned up among a pile of my grandfather's mementos. But the item wasn't at all what I would have expected. 

There, in the locker, was a note from me to my grandfather. In my 14-year-old handwriting, I wished him luck in an upcoming ping pong tournament. I'd taped a 1911 penny (his birth year) to the note for good luck. The penny is still attached.

This surprised me because I don't remember writing the note. My memories are all of him giving to me. It made me very happy to learn that I'd given something meaningful back to my grandfather that he kept and treasured. 

So, that's my story.

Will you join me this Friday to share a story of yours?

This Friday, April 11th at 12pm Eastern / 11am Central, I'm hosting an online Object Diaries gathering to share memories about our elders and grandparents.

RSVP here. It's 30 minutes on Zoom!

Bring anything from an elder or grandparent that carries a meaningful memory for you. We'll use these objects as conversation starters to spark genuine connections.

Photos of grandparents at your age
Handwritten letters or scrapbooks
Hand-me-down quilts
Family recipes

We’ll use these mementos to share stories that are personal yet surprisingly relevant to the work we do in the world.

If you'd like to connect more meaningfully in 2025, RSVP here.

Thank you for being an important part of the Object Diaries project!