Creating Positive Sentimental Memories

I wrote the following article "Creating Positive Sentimental Memories," earlier this year. The original article, with photos of some of my family, can be found in the articles section of our website at http://www.valdostamemorials.com/articles/CreatingMemories.asp. The story and photos express one of those sentimental experiences that each of us should strive to create whenever we can.

I am lucky to have a great relationship with my sister Emma Jean and her family. Over the years, our relationship has strengthened and I now consider her to be one of my best friends. I call her nearly every day for a few minutes of catch up.

I wish I had such a great relationship with all of my family; however, life does not always come to us in the manner that we would like. All we can do is take what we have and make the best of it while striving to create as many positive sentimental memories as the people and events in our lives may allow. Positive sentimenal memories can be planned, and they should alway be cherished. Burton//

The Memorialist: Creating Positive Sentimental Memories
Author: Burton Fletcher
Publication Date: 2006-02


Daily, we are creating memories that will serve to either unite or divide our family that will be stored and invested, to be recalled later with either sadness or happiness.

Celebrations for birthdays, weddings, and funerals are events where long-term memories are created. As part of our construction of the Fletcher Memorial, my brother-in-law, nieces, and others, worked together to build the concrete foundation that would later be covered with granite chips.

I thought this would be a grand opportunity to write our names in the concrete in an area that will hopefully not be disturbed by future burials. This also serves to create a treasure that will evoke positive memories. In essence, this is a time capsule within the collective memories of those who worked together, known to each of us, and available to anyone who may desire to sweep back the granite cover at some future point in time for a peek into the past. I can visualize descendants’ generations from now standing at the memorial site being told the story of the construction of the memorial and how we worked together to create a beautiful family memorial.

While I do not often think of this quality of my character, surely, I am a sentimentalist. Unquestionably, sentimentalism is a quality to my personality that serves me well as a memorialist. I would not want to work with a memorialist who was not a sentimentalist, as emotion and art go hand in hand throughout the creative process.

Just as it is true that you should take time to smell the roses, also take time to write your name in the concrete. Create your own living time capsule of symbols that reinforce a common heritage and family unity; after all, it is the right thing to do!

Share with us by emailing your thoughts to Burton@USAMonuments.com.