I cannot take credit for this idea, but when I heard it I KNEW I had to do it for my family. I’m sure you’ve all seen these recordable books, where you can record someone’s voice reading it and listen to their voice as you follow along. What I hadn’t thought of before, was how these sweet recordable books can really become a treasured keepsake from someone you love and always want to remember.
…these sweet recordable books can really become a treasured keepsake from someone you love and always want to remember.
A friend of mine recently had a close family member pass away. After he passed away her family got out a few of these books that had been previously recorded with his voice. She mentioned how precious it was for them to hear his voice after losing him so suddenly…truly a tender mercy during such a hard occasion.
When I heard about this from her I instantly wanted to do it with my children’s grandparents. So last year I had my husband’s parents record a book for my kids as a Christmas gift, and I had my kids record a book for them in return. This year we’re doing the same with my parents. We recorded our book for Grandma and Grandpa last night. It’s called At Christmas Time & Always, I Love You by Renee Daniels. It is incredibly tender, especially when read by children.
The book I’ll ask my parents to record is The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. This version is a really cool kids pop-up book, complete with lights and their grandparents voices! What could be better to read just before bed at Christmas time!
If this idea sounds as fabulous to you as it did to me, here’s one tip: look for these recordable books in-person at a local Hallmark store or on their website www.hallmark.com. There are so many to choose from! Many of them are discounted right now online. I found that they were much more expensive on Amazon than directly through Hallmark.
I’m so happy my friend told me about her experience. I’m so grateful to have my children’s grandparents voices captured in story-form for them to listen to for many years to come. Two of my grandparents passed away when I was very young, and the other two I didn’t get to meet at all, so this is especially meaningful for me and a gift I’m so grateful I can give my children.
