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Here is a link that might be useful: portland oregonian

Interesting article. I'm not very surprised that Ted wasn't interested in getting his old letters back. They should have asked GLENNA! LOL (I think most women are more sentimental about hanging on to things than men are.)

I found that story to be very sad. I know we can't keep everything, but I would think some grandchild or great grandchild would be delighted to have those letters somewhere down the road.

I know I always feel a sense of sadness when I go to antique shops and see all the old photographs that somehow have gotten separated from their families. What I wouldn't give to have photographs of my ancestors!

What is really sad is to find a family Bible without it's family. I know some people who will buy up the old Bible and then try to track down the descendants.

That is true. I have an old autograph book that belonged to a junior high student in the 40's and I would love to find its owner or at least a family member. No such luck, however.

I couldn't get past the first couple paragraphs. I know it's all just stuff, but the thought of the stories behind them haunt me.

I have post cards that my grandmother saved from 1912-1918, there are over 200 of them. I arranged them by date and started reading them. They told quite a story, a lost love story and I learned that my grandfather had typhus. There were so many cute cards from all over the country. I hope that I will be able to pass these to my grandchildren. People today are more concerned with keeping things "tidy and organized" with no thought about the history involved. I started learning more about genealogy as I started researching some of the stories in the post cards. It is so interesting.

Oh, Justgotabeme, you need to read the rest.

I loved the end:

And you are left to wonder whether youÂve had it all wrong. That this isnÂt about things at all, but our ability to live without them.

"Things are inherently anonymous through time," Kitson, the former archaeologist, once said.

Plates shatter. Letters fade.

And for the first time you can think about that and not feel sad. Because maybe thatÂs where we all really want to head in the end: To reach a place of such confidence  in our ability to summon the people we love, the places we have been, the person who we are  that we can let it all go. We can pass that part of ourselves on to a complete stranger.

Talley Sue, thank you. I'll try, but lately I'm dealing with some inner struggles about my folks and how much I miss them both. It always happens this time of year. Mother's day, my Mom's birthday and her passing are all less than a month apart. Maybe I'll read it after I come back from visiting my home town with my sister next week. I'll have been with the two sisters of Mom's that are left. We'd go visit my Dad's folks too, but my sister doesn't have the time right now. They are a bit further away than our home town. For now I'll just keep playing happy music and carry on. The ending of the story you quoted is beautiful though. Thanks for sharing it.