In the mid-1940's, like most American families, the Daly family of Milwaukee had sons serving in the military. Unlike most, they wrote and distributed a family newsletter that served as a clearinghouse of information from the four sons and one son-in-law scattered across the world in war zones, as well as their parents and wives on the homefront. Nearly 200 editions were published and better yet, SAVED by the family. In 1980 when one of those servicemen died, his son took another look at that archive hoping to know his father better. Soon he decided to dramatize the newsletters in the form of a one-man show followed by, of all things, a musical. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covered the opening of the musical this past November in their article Milwaukee Family's WWII-era Letters Inspire Musical.

The idea of turning family memories into a musical is interesting enough, but for me what's even more fascinating is the idea that experiences common to so many families can become unique and meaningful when viewed through the lens of time with a personal filter. The article includes a link to "The 'Daly' News" published on August 15, 1945 after news of the Japanese surrender. This very public event is made intimate by details of how the father heard that the war was ending, and more importantly, how the announcement made him feel. And the big news is interspersed with offhand references to tidbits from a time capsule, including meat rationing, bobby soxers and gathering around the radio to wait for President Truman to make his 6:00 announcement. Even the look of the newsletter evokes history, of manual typewriters and mimeograph machines. I was spellbound reading this, wishing I had something similar from my grandparents or parents. And I realized it's not too late for me to leave something like this for my descendants.

So, while I don't have sons in a war zone and I probably won't publish a newsletter, I do have an everyday life and I have reactions to world events. What if I just found a way to get some of my thoughts and feelings about the world down on paper and preserve them? It might be as simple as printing out the emails I send back and forth to my college student or my mom and sticking them in a file. Or saving the family calendars so someday my grandchildren will know how we spent our days in olden times. There must be dozens of ways to save these little bits of ourselves and our lives for future generations.  And we never know when we might become the stars of a musical rendition of life in the early 21st century!

Do you keep a journal or diary? Do you have another interesting way of saving your memories for the future? We'd love to hear about it!

~ Kristi