I caught a ball at the baseball game! Preserving your memento's story.

I caught a baseball at the game.  Ok, well, I didn’t really catch the baseball but I have a ball hit by a San Diego Padres’ player on July 4, 2015 while playing against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

During the course of the game, there had to be over 20 people that “caught” balls.  It wasn’t a special game, but I had a great time with my husband and aunt but you wouldn’t know that by looking at that baseball.

What would you do with the ball?

The question really isn’t about what to do with the ball but how to record a specific story that surrounds a memento. 

In the case of the ball, the game ticket will be helpful in identifying that I went to baseball game however there is no detail in why I kept it.

Throughout our lives we will keep many mementos, some that we will recognize with our hearts their importance for that time and place.  Other mementos, we will look at and have a vague recollection as to why we kept it.  However, without the written history, it will mean nothing to the next generation.

For years, I have heard older generations say “Nobody will want this, so I should just throw all of this away.”  But the truth is that there is somebody who will want something.  Some items of your they will keep because it was important to them and other items they will keep because you stressed the importance of that item to you.

Start with the top 10 items you have and mean the absolute world to you.  Get a notebook and label it  - “My Mementos”.  If you can, label each item with a number if you can’t do that without damaging the item be sure to detail it to the Nth degree so that it isn’t confused for another item.

In the notebook, give the number of the items and start with its description (just in case the number falls off the items).  Then write a few details as to why you kept it; ie, where you got it, who was with you, when you got the item, why it is important to you.

You do not need to write a dissertation.  But do be sure to give enough details so that the next generation has a complete picture of the items importance. 

If you don’t feel this is enough take a photograph of the item and write the story on the back of the picture and file the pictures with your important papers.

Your mementos are important not only to you but to future generations.  Knowing the story  behind the memento just makes it that more special.

Oh and as for the story of the ball?  We had excellent seats on the first base line in the bottom section.  With every foul tip, I would say “I can’t look up because I am sure it would the ball would hit me in the face.”  I felt like Sandra Bullock in “2 Weeks Notice”.

Somehow a commotion started right around us but I have to tell you I couldn’t tell you why.  I hadn’t been paying attention to the game.  The next thing I know, everyone is saying that it was underneath me.  Finally I stood up and my husband got the ball from under my chair.  It was hilarious.  Once the ball was in my hand, I did a happy dance and then spent the rest of the day laughing.

Of course, the ball fell out the sky when I wasn’t paying attention and fell on me then underneath me.  But that wasn’t the best part. I got a great memento of a wonderful afternoon I had on July 4, 2015 with my husband and my favorite aunt and that is what I want someone to know when they find my ball.

Remember with Me is a family legacy company dedicated to recording the stories of the individual and solidifying their place in their family’s history.  Please call us to schedule a time with a trained Life Historian to tell your story, archive heirlooms or identify family photos.