Handwritten letters and notes are becoming rare in this digital age. It’s a shame because emails and text messages won’t be treasured like our letters, scribbled notes, and postcards. How many of us have kept a shoebox full of old letters and cards that bring back sweet memories?

Before she passed away, Mom gave my daughter her wedding pearls. This was a great treasure, but more significant was the handwritten letter Mom sent along with it, describing her wedding and the early years of marriage. It was during the Depression, and God provided for Mom and Dad in many ways.

When Mom was well into her late 80s and early 90s, she made some beautiful heritage quilts as wedding gifts for several of her granddaughters and a great-granddaughter. But, as meaningful as they are, they would not be the same if Mom had not included her story behind the various squares she had designed.

Memories and sentiments disappear when our in-boxes automatically delete old files or when a person passes away without leaving a password for someone to have access. The same is true for Facebook or other social media posts that have been hacked.

Is there someone you should write to today? Are you planning on leaving a unique treasure for a family member when you die? Will they know why it is so special to you?