Looking Back, Forward
New Year’s inspires a degree of sentimentality and anticipation in me. I inherited boxes of photos and memorabilia from my mothers’ house a few years ago. She was the self-appointed, albeit, unorganized, family historian and I was ‘blessed’ with what remained of ‘family’ items after her home was sold. I am slowly scanning and labeling photos, school report cards, newspaper clippings and taking photos of other personal items from my ancestors. I plan to pass the items on to relatives and others who can enjoy them.
I am, however, keeping a few items that bring me joy. I put my mother’s wedding dress and my father’s wedding suit on display in the guest room. I am repairing worn aprons from generations of family cooks and fashioning some ‘new’ ones from the old patterns! All this stimulates much reflection, insight, and gratitude. I am reminded of the environmentally friendly practices that my ancestors lived by. Saving grease in a can, feeding the chickens the table scraps, collecting rainwater in a cistern for baths and clothes washing, hanging clothes to dry. My grandmother, Lucy, wouldn’t have said it was earth friendly, it made economic sense to use what was available. My great aunt Velma shunned paper towels because we all had dishcloths. My grandfather, Willis, didn’t buy new equipment, he fixed what he had or traded for something he needed. My father and his brothers shared common tools so each did not have to purchase his own.
As I enter the new year, I look back for wisdom to use as I move forward. I am fascinated that I’m doing some of the same things my ancestors did for the same and different reasons. All because it makes sense economically, environmentally and socially. This combination is called the triple bottom line of sustainability. It is a concept that families, neighborhoods, communities, cities and states can use to make sense in our changing world.
My husband and I co-own some equipment with friends. Other items we borrow or rent so we don’t have to maintain or store them. We ‘traded’ babysitting with neighbors when our children were young. I have rain barrels to collect rainwater for the vegetable garden and fruit & nut plants. My neighbor shares her chicken eggs and manure and I share vegetables and fruit jelly. I hang dry clothes indoors in winter. My table scraps go to the compost pile and I am using Velma’s dishtowels and Lucy’s aprons everyday.
How are you looking back to gain wisdom for the new year? How are you moving forward with the Triple Bottom Line to Sustainability ? Tell us at the Eco Family Blog http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/isuecofamily
Kristi
Energy, Environment, Food, Health, Public policy, Waste Prevention, Water quality & conservation
Ah yes! The frugality and thriftiness of my parents! Both were born into second generation families from Poland (Mom) and Germany (Dad). My Dad speaks of being put in a basket for his “crib” and being the youngest of 5 siblings, having to sleep on the couch in the living room because he and his entire family were living in the basement of his maternal grandparents’ old farmhouse. I grew up in a family where we naturally re-used, reduced, and recycled. My mother had a way of making all of this “fun.” When my older sisters (4.5 and 6 years older than me) outgrew their toys or nice clothes, my mother would hold a “bingo” party at our house for me and my girlfriends and we would “win” these treasured prizes. Mom also kept a stockpile of shoes, pants, etc., in the cupboards, and each season as I grew, we’d go to the “shoe store” or the “pants store” – you guessed it, one of Mom’s cupboards! – to “shop” for clothing that fit me. Thank you for bringing back such wonderful memories for me! I’ve been having fun this year, sharing my mother’s and mother-in-law’s recipes with the younger generation. When I can, I also enclose a little story about the dish and my memories of the cook!
Kristi – your sharing sounds so much like my growing up years. I find those experiences make it easier for me to embrace some practices that adhere to the Triple Bottom Line to Sustainability. I’ll just pick one to share. I wear many of my clothes more than once before washing. It saves water, detergent, electricity, and the clothes themselves last longer. Perhaps this is easier for me to do because I remember the days of washing clothes in a wringer washer and hanging the clothes out on the clothesline. Fast forward to washing machines and dryers and it becomes easy for the kids to toss a clothing item in the hamper after having it on for a couple of hours.
Thank you, Kristi, for that virtual visit with your parents and extended family. I have Crystal’s 1933 wedding dress, Kenneth’s suit and his mother Daisy’s dress and purse she wore to their wedding. And I have Daisy’s 1904 wedding gown. Laura thought long and hard last fall before letting Vince’s 1965 wedding suit go (because it can still benefit another wearer), but my dress went into the trunk (restored by Vince) with the other generations. As the laundry grandma in our three generation home, I am still working on getting our granddaughter to re-wear anything! But I continue to try!