My family has a tradition when giving books as gifts. The person who gives the book inscribes a message on the inside front cover and then adds the date or occasion after the signature.
Sometimes the message offers hope and encouragement (I see this a lot in the cookbooks I receive. Hmm…are my relatives trying to tell me something?) Other times, the message will let me know why this particular book was special to them and why they are passing it on.
Just the other day I grabbed one of the cookbooks and saw my great-aunt's inscription. The spindly handwriting on the inside cover triggered a memory of the day she gave the book to me. It was decades ago and she passed away not long after, but I can remember the smell of her perfume and the sound of her laugh.
This tradition not only jogs my memory and gives me something to connect with my relatives, but it offers a part of family history that can't be found in scrapbook. Who else has a family tradition when it comes to books?
Sometimes the message offers hope and encouragement (I see this a lot in the cookbooks I receive. Hmm…are my relatives trying to tell me something?) Other times, the message will let me know why this particular book was special to them and why they are passing it on.
Just the other day I grabbed one of the cookbooks and saw my great-aunt's inscription. The spindly handwriting on the inside cover triggered a memory of the day she gave the book to me. It was decades ago and she passed away not long after, but I can remember the smell of her perfume and the sound of her laugh.
This tradition not only jogs my memory and gives me something to connect with my relatives, but it offers a part of family history that can't be found in scrapbook. Who else has a family tradition when it comes to books?
Susanna
