keepsake for our children

Terra- This sucks.  I know I to have a 5 year old and a 4year old and unfortunately a wife who recently passed from stage 4 melanoma.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do, long story short here are the things we did.  A video talking about my wife, who she was, what she liked, how we met and how the kids made her feel.  I would have liked to make more videos but it was very difficult.  Second is we bought buirthday cards for the kids, she simply signed love mom, or mama, we also bought cards for graduation, marriage and a first kid.  This to was extremely difficult but I told my wife how important it was to have something tangiable, and that we were not giving up the fight.  I just wante to make sure we could concentrate on the fight if and when it got bad.  One thing we had but didn't have time to do was a book that records your voice.  I am so sorry, I know how dark, lonely, scary and frustrating this journey is.  If there is anything I can do please ask.

B

Terra- This sucks.  I know I to have a 5 year old and a 4year old and unfortunately a wife who recently passed from stage 4 melanoma.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do, long story short here are the things we did.  A video talking about my wife, who she was, what she liked, how we met and how the kids made her feel.  I would have liked to make more videos but it was very difficult.  Second is we bought buirthday cards for the kids, she simply signed love mom, or mama, we also bought cards for graduation, marriage and a first kid.  This to was extremely difficult but I told my wife how important it was to have something tangiable, and that we were not giving up the fight.  I just wante to make sure we could concentrate on the fight if and when it got bad.  One thing we had but didn't have time to do was a book that records your voice.  I am so sorry, I know how dark, lonely, scary and frustrating this journey is.  If there is anything I can do please ask.

B

Terra- This sucks.  I know I to have a 5 year old and a 4year old and unfortunately a wife who recently passed from stage 4 melanoma.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do, long story short here are the things we did.  A video talking about my wife, who she was, what she liked, how we met and how the kids made her feel.  I would have liked to make more videos but it was very difficult.  Second is we bought buirthday cards for the kids, she simply signed love mom, or mama, we also bought cards for graduation, marriage and a first kid.  This to was extremely difficult but I told my wife how important it was to have something tangiable, and that we were not giving up the fight.  I just wante to make sure we could concentrate on the fight if and when it got bad.  One thing we had but didn't have time to do was a book that records your voice.  I am so sorry, I know how dark, lonely, scary and frustrating this journey is.  If there is anything I can do please ask.

B

Terra- This sucks.  I know I to have a 5 year old and a 4year old and unfortunately a wife who recently passed from stage 4 melanoma.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do, long story short here are the things we did.  A video talking about my wife, who she was, what she liked, how we met and how the kids made her feel.  I would have liked to make more videos but it was very difficult.  Second is we bought buirthday cards for the kids, she simply signed love mom, or mama, we also bought cards for graduation, marriage and a first kid.  This to was extremely difficult but I told my wife how important it was to have something tangiable, and that we were not giving up the fight.  I just wante to make sure we could concentrate on the fight if and when it got bad.  One thing we had but didn't have time to do was a book that records your voice.  I am so sorry, I know how dark, lonely, scary and frustrating this journey is.  If there is anything I can do please ask.

B

Terra,

I found a book on Amazaon, Share Your Stories Father, 201 questions to help father share his most important memories. Even if he isn't a writer, maybe the topics would help and you could video tape him telling the stories.

And yes Hallmark has the books to record voices, but you can also video tape him reading stories with the girls now. I am sorry you are going through this.

Hang in there.

Susan wife to Jerry Stage III

Terra,

I found a book on Amazaon, Share Your Stories Father, 201 questions to help father share his most important memories. Even if he isn't a writer, maybe the topics would help and you could video tape him telling the stories.

And yes Hallmark has the books to record voices, but you can also video tape him reading stories with the girls now. I am sorry you are going through this.

Hang in there.

Susan wife to Jerry Stage III

For Christmas i gave my 2 sons (ages 21 and 23) a cross and had an inscription put on the back "May your heart always feel my love) and my 15 year old daughter got a necklace with a pic of me and her with the same inscription on the back.   I Amost bought some photo albums where you add the pics and can record a message per page for 30 secs.  I saw them at hallmark

For Christmas i gave my 2 sons (ages 21 and 23) a cross and had an inscription put on the back "May your heart always feel my love) and my 15 year old daughter got a necklace with a pic of me and her with the same inscription on the back.   I Amost bought some photo albums where you add the pics and can record a message per page for 30 secs.  I saw them at hallmark

I remember some time ago that a poster mentioned making videos/dvds of responses to major events in the childrens life such as wedddings, high school and college graduation, pregnancies, 18 or other birthdays, special events etc.

Best wishes,

Michael

I remember some time ago that a poster mentioned making videos/dvds of responses to major events in the childrens life such as wedddings, high school and college graduation, pregnancies, 18 or other birthdays, special events etc.

Best wishes,

Michael

What a sad thing to have to think about!  Good for you guys – your children will appriciate it.  Not that I am in your shoes by any means but just trying to put myself in your childrens shoes.  Not only would I like to know that my parent loved me and thought of me often but I would like to know what they were like as a person, maybe what they thought of.  Odd things, what did they think the first time they went on a roller coaster, even politics or world events.  They will learn about them in school and they can say, "I might not be able to ask my dad what he thought when the twin towers went down, but I know because left me a letter or video telling me."  Things like that seem unimportant but it is a way to remember not only him but who he was.  I would also google ideas for it.  I think someone above mentioned a book about things that they wanted to ask.  VERY GOOD IDEA!

What a sad thing to have to think about!  Good for you guys – your children will appriciate it.  Not that I am in your shoes by any means but just trying to put myself in your childrens shoes.  Not only would I like to know that my parent loved me and thought of me often but I would like to know what they were like as a person, maybe what they thought of.  Odd things, what did they think the first time they went on a roller coaster, even politics or world events.  They will learn about them in school and they can say, "I might not be able to ask my dad what he thought when the twin towers went down, but I know because left me a letter or video telling me."  Things like that seem unimportant but it is a way to remember not only him but who he was.  I would also google ideas for it.  I think someone above mentioned a book about things that they wanted to ask.  VERY GOOD IDEA!

Hi Terra – I really don't have any better suggestions than others gave you….I just wanted you to know I care, and my prayers are with you…..In September as Jim was beginning to decline, my daughter has a friend, who used to be a photographer, that came down, and we went to a Park and took family photos, …we were all dressed, brown, turquoise, white, jeans…looked good…..We had both of our children, their spouses and all of our grandchildren….THOSE FAMILY PHOTOS MEAN THE WORLD TO ME.  I know he did not feel well that day, and I saw new enlarged lymphnodes and tumors, but Jim went along with it…He did it for us…I especially love one of us.  My daughter had it enlarged for me and I have framed it, and several others…one sits on my desk of us with our grandchildren her at my work.  I am so glad I thought of doing this….I miss him so much…we were together, just 4 days short of 43 years.  He passed on Nov 30, 2010.  I think, Terra, you have received some wonderful ideas…..Hugs and prayers being sent to you.

Take Care,

Sherron, wife to Jim FOREVER

Hi Terra – I really don't have any better suggestions than others gave you….I just wanted you to know I care, and my prayers are with you…..In September as Jim was beginning to decline, my daughter has a friend, who used to be a photographer, that came down, and we went to a Park and took family photos, …we were all dressed, brown, turquoise, white, jeans…looked good…..We had both of our children, their spouses and all of our grandchildren….THOSE FAMILY PHOTOS MEAN THE WORLD TO ME.  I know he did not feel well that day, and I saw new enlarged lymphnodes and tumors, but Jim went along with it…He did it for us…I especially love one of us.  My daughter had it enlarged for me and I have framed it, and several others…one sits on my desk of us with our grandchildren her at my work.  I am so glad I thought of doing this….I miss him so much…we were together, just 4 days short of 43 years.  He passed on Nov 30, 2010.  I think, Terra, you have received some wonderful ideas…..Hugs and prayers being sent to you.

Take Care,

Sherron, wife to Jim FOREVER

Terra, I'm so sorry for your family.  I know this is hard.  I lost my father unexpectedly when I was 9.  Some of the things that are important to me now are the little things you might not think to save.  Things I am so grateful to have now are some of the things that tell me about him as the man he was other than my daddy.  Someone had pretty much packed up all his personal items for my mom, and put them into a box.  That box found its way into the attic, where I found it 35+ years later.  It was like a personal time capsule – it included his wallet, personal items from his car and work, the top of his dresser where he had emptied his pants pockets after work – even his sunglasses were in there.  The wallet was a real treasure – think about what's in your wallet, it tells a lot about you.  Your driver's license, maybe a pay stub (my Dad's pay stub from 35 years ago was a real shock!), pictures of people/things important to you, etc.

The box also included his baby book and bible, which provided a treasure trove of family history I could never have found otherwise.  Things I wish I could have had – more pictures of my Dad as a child/teenager.  Children(and adults) like being able to look at pictures of their parents and see elements of themselves in them.  (All my father's children, regardless of the mother, bear similar features that can be seen in my father's childhood pictures.  When some of us met for the first time ever last year, there was absolutely no doubt we were related!)

Terra, I'm so sorry for your family.  I know this is hard.  I lost my father unexpectedly when I was 9.  Some of the things that are important to me now are the little things you might not think to save.  Things I am so grateful to have now are some of the things that tell me about him as the man he was other than my daddy.  Someone had pretty much packed up all his personal items for my mom, and put them into a box.  That box found its way into the attic, where I found it 35+ years later.  It was like a personal time capsule – it included his wallet, personal items from his car and work, the top of his dresser where he had emptied his pants pockets after work – even his sunglasses were in there.  The wallet was a real treasure – think about what's in your wallet, it tells a lot about you.  Your driver's license, maybe a pay stub (my Dad's pay stub from 35 years ago was a real shock!), pictures of people/things important to you, etc.

The box also included his baby book and bible, which provided a treasure trove of family history I could never have found otherwise.  Things I wish I could have had – more pictures of my Dad as a child/teenager.  Children(and adults) like being able to look at pictures of their parents and see elements of themselves in them.  (All my father's children, regardless of the mother, bear similar features that can be seen in my father's childhood pictures.  When some of us met for the first time ever last year, there was absolutely no doubt we were related!)