It was an honor and a pleasure to read through the thousands and thousands of entries that flooded in from across the country for this contest. The quality of the stories was superb!
Many of you read about the Mother's Day Keepsake Story Contest in Reminisce magazine or Reader's Digest. The theme of the contest was,
"I opened the cedar chest and inside I found..." The contest asked you to share the story behind a special keepsake in your family. And share your stories you did! Thank you for being so generous with what was in many cases very personal stories.
I was particularly touched by one entry that was obviously written with tremendous emotion. The woman who submitted the entry subsequently wrote us a letter asking us to remove her entry from competition because, although everything she shared was factual and meaningful, she didn't want to use her family heritage to win a contest. Well, you shouldn't feel that entering this contest in any way diminishes your family heritage. In fact, I believe it enhances it. That's what the Legacy Project is all about. We want to celebrate, honor, and share the many stories out there that are meaningful to the people who have lived them and inspirational to the people who read them. And we are pleased to be able to offer a few nice prizes along the way as a little encouragement.
So many entrants thanked us for this contest because it gave them "an excuse" to write down a family story they had been meaning to capture for posterity. And many others of you just wanted someone to read your story, to know that someone cared and served as a witness to a part of your life. Some of you even told us that you have never shared a certain story with anyone before, but this contest gave you the courage to do so. Thank you so much for allowing us to play this kind of role in your lives. We have read all of your stories with great interest and a tremendous sense of responsibility.
You were gracious enough to allow us to snoop in your "cedar chests," and your drawers, closets, attics, and long-forgotten boxes. We received entries from all ages -- the youngest entrant was 8 years old and the oldest 101 years, with several entrants in their 90s. The stories were playful, poignant, and everything in between. I was particularly delighted by the perspectives of children and how much they understood about what certain items meant in the context of their family history.
The keepsakes you wrote about ranged from quilts and rocking chairs to rings and plates. For one entrant, the keepsake was the family home. For another, the keepsake was the character trait of strength and courage in the face of adversity.
One woman wrote about a 100-year-old pocketknife from her mother that she had carried in her purse for over 50 years. "It was pearl-handled, about 1 1/2 inches long when folded, and one blade was broken." She continues, "Recently, my son took me to Hawaii. When they checked my purse at the Los Angeles Airport, they discovered this knife. They insisted I had to give it up. I begged, pleaded, and cried, but to no avail."
Another woman wrote about a knob from an old television set that "symbolizes the bigger picture." One day, in a desire to get her children to explore the real world around them rather than sitting mesmerized in front of the "boob tube," her mother had destroyed the family television set by repeatedly hurling it against the ground. The knob came from amongst the broken pieces on the garage floor.
There were stories from people who learned things about their parents after their deaths. In sorting through her mother's cedar chest, one woman discovered her mother's journal -- a "him" book which ranked all of her boyfriends, listing both their positive and negative qualities. Beside her eventual husband's name, her mother had written, "I think I'm going to marry this one!"
There were tender stories like the woman who recalled her five-year-old self being heartbroken at not receiving a doll one Christmas. Her mother soothed her by quickly fashioning a rag doll from two kitchen towels. "I held that doll and danced. To this day, I can close my eyes and see that little girl dancing. I thought I would keep that doll forever. I had her for half a day. My mother needed the towels because she was preparing dinner. I reluctantly handed the doll over and turned away. How I cried for that rag doll."
Another woman wrote about a pasta pot with a colander top her mother had ordered from the Home Shopping Network. She cried when she received that gift because her mother, who had suffered from schizophrenia for over thirty years, had only recently stabilized her life to the point that she could live on her own and afford such a gift. "With pride I will pass this gift on to my daughter. As an inheritance, this gift has no historical significance. It has neither great monetary value nor amazing culinary worth. But for those of us who know and love my Mom and will remember her, it symbolizes much hope and courage."
And then there were fascinating stories that were interwoven with social history -- like the woman whose great grandparents' farm became a stop on the "Underground Railroad." As a gesture of thanks, one Black woman gave the family a 17th Century Queen Anne's Ware milk pitcher. It had been on the table at Mt. Vernon, when Washington entertained Lafayette. The woman's grandmother had known how special the occasion was. She asked for, and received, the pitcher as a memento. Now the pitcher, and the story, was a source of family pride and a connection to a moment in history.
With so many wonderful entries, it was extremely difficult to choose the winners. But that's our job as judges. After much thought and discussion, we have chosen eleven entries to receive a prize -- one Grand Prize Winner, three Second Prize winners, and seven Third Prize Winners. We hope you enjoy reading the winning entries. I know you'll agree that our Grand Prize-winning story carries a poignant, universal message about the bond between mother and child.
I would like to thank the judging committee for all their work on this contest. Judging is fulfilling work, but also long and hard work. Special thanks goes to the editorial staff at Reminisce magazine, especially Bettina Miller and Lee Aschoff, who helped in handling incoming entries and selecting the winners. One of our lead judges, Jim Barry, also deserves a big round of applause. His dedication, diligence, and enthusiasm are unsurpassed.
As I mentioned earlier, so many people thanked us for taking the time to read their stories. It occurred to me how important it is for people to feel listened to. I don't think we listen enough in this society. We certainly talk a lot. But how many of us really take the time to listen with all our mind and all our heart? Feeling listened to is as important a psychological need as feeling loved. There is much we can learn by listening -- about how the world was, how it can be, and who we are.
With warm wishes,
Susan V. Bosak
Chair, Something to Remember Me By Legacy Project
Click here to find out the Winners of the 2003 Mother's Day Keepsake Story Contest
