Children's Books and Family History: Holding On

 Every family has things that are passed from one generation to the next.

Sometimes it's a recipe.

Sometimes it's a tradition.

Sometimes it's a story.

And sometimes, it's a song.

Music has a remarkable way of helping us remember the people we love. Long after conversations have ended, a familiar melody can bring back a face, a place, or a feeling in an instant. That's one of the reasons I loved Holding On by Sophia N. Lee. It reminds us that family history isn't only found in photographs or journals. It's also found in the songs that fill our homes.

Lola's house is always filled with music. Sammy Davis Jr. plays in the morning, Dean Martin in the afternoon, and old Tagalog love songs drift through the house each evening. Along with the music comes one piece of wisdom that Lola often shares with her granddaughter:

"If you want to hold on, you gotta sing your songs."

Her granddaughter treasures those words, tucking both the music and Lola's wisdom deep within her heart.

As Lola begins slipping into silence and stillness, her granddaughter lovingly sings those familiar songs back to her, helping Lola hold on one precious memory at a time.

With tenderness and hope, Holding On is a beautiful story about love, memory, and the special bond shared between grandparents and grandchildren.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children isn't just the stories of our family—it's the traditions that help those stories live on.

Maybe your grandmother always sang while she washed the dishes.

Maybe your grandpa whistled the same tune every time he worked in the garden.

Maybe your family sings around the piano at Christmas or has a silly song everyone joins in on during birthdays.

Those songs become part of your family's story.

When my Nan began to forget, it was emotionally, mentally, and physically draining on our family. Watching someone you love slowly slip away is incredibly difficult. Yet, when I look back on those final months, I don't only remember the sadness. I also remember the tenderness.

As a family, we had the privilege of caring for her.

I continued to sit beside her and play with her hair, just as I always had. We all continued to make her a cup of tea exactly the way she liked it—milk, no sugar. They were such simple acts, but they reminded us that even when memories become harder to hold onto, love can still be expressed in familiar ways.

That's one of the reasons Holding On touched my heart. The granddaughter couldn't stop her grandmother's memory from fading, but she could continue loving her in the language they had always shared—music.

Family history isn't only about preserving memories after someone is gone. It's also about honoring the people we love while they're still with us. Sometimes that looks like writing down their stories. Sometimes it looks like singing their favorite song. And sometimes it looks like making them a cup of tea just the way they like it.

Those quiet acts of love become part of our family's story too.

ACTIVITY: The Little Things I'll Always Remember

Think about a grandparent or someone you love. What are the little things that make you think of them?

• What song reminds you of them?
• Did they have a favorite food or drink?
• Was there a phrase they said all the time?
• What is something they always did that made you smile?
• What is one memory you never want to forget?
• What do you hope your children will know about them?

Challenge: This week, ask a grandparent or older family member:
"What are three things you hope our family will always remember about you?"

Write down their answers.

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