Resurgence Of American Cedar Chest TraditionBrings Generations Closer

Furniture World Magazine

What do you find inside a cedar chest? Hopes, dreams, memories, and love. That's what author Susan V. Bosak found inside a cedar chest she inherited from her grandmother. Her book "Something to Remember Me By" has sparked a resurgence in the American cedar chest tradition and is helping bring generations in families closer together. It also moved Lane Furniture to produce a new heirloom-quality chest based on the one in the story and support a new national Legacy Project. The "Something to Remember Me By" Legacy Project at www.somethingtoremembermeby.org is offering a free family Mother's Day Activity Kit and a Mother's Day Keepsake Story Contest with a Grand Prize of the new chest and $15,000 of Lane furniture. "Something to Remember Me By" is a seemingly simple little book that has touched a chord with children and adults across the country. It has sold over 250,000 copies and won six national awards. It is a richly-illustrated, heartwarming storybook about love and legacies across generations – the perfect gift book to give children, mothers, and grandmothers. The story follows a grandmother and granddaughter through the years, as keepsakes fill a special cedar chest with memories and love "A cedar chest is the heart of a home," says Bosak, who serves as Legacy Project Chair and runs legacy workshops with families across the country. "A table or chair may have style, or even personality. But a cedar chest is the only piece of furniture with heart. It creates a bond across time and generations." Cedar chests have a long, rich history. In ancient times, carefully crafted, elaborately decorated cedar chests were used as part of sacred rituals and to hold valuable treasures. During World War II, servicemen arranged to have cedar chests sent to girl friends and wives back home. Lane Furniture set up a special correspondence network between servicemen and their families as cedar chests became "hope" chests in the largest sense -- hope for peace, family, and the future. Today, Lane is supporting the national "Something to Remember Me By" Legacy Project under the nonprofit Parenting Coalition and Generations United in Washington, DC. As a way to bring generations in families closer together, it celebrates the keepsakes, memories, personal histories, and life lessons passed along from generation to generation. A portion of the proceeds from the new Lane Something to Remember Me By Cedar Chest goes to support the Legacy Project. With its two-toned coloring and mixed burled and matched wood patterns, the gracious chest is an elegant accent anywhere in the home, a meaningful gift for any occasion, and a keepsake itself. "I have the original chest sitting proudly at the foot of my bed." Says Bosak. "But every time I did a book signing, at least a couple of people would come up to me and ask me if the chest illustrated in the book was available for purchase." For Mother's Day, the Legacy Project is offering a family activity kit and a contest. The free online Mother's Day Activity Kit is filled with fun family activities, crafts, games, and homemade gift ideas. Try Big Hug Card, Family Photo House Card, Generations Guessing Game, Mommy Facts, Motherisms, and Like Mother, Like Daughter. There are even Best Mom certificates and a special section all about keepsakes. The Mother's Day Keepsake Story Contest, co-sponsored by the popular nostalgia magazine Reminisce, gives you a chance to share a story (300 words or less) about a special keepsake in your family. The Grand Prize is the Lane Something to Remember Me By Cedar Chest -- with a houseful of Lane furniture to go with it ($15,000 retail value). Other prizes include $200 book gift certificates from Books Are Fun. And the best entries will be published in Reminisce. The contest is open to adults and children 8 years and older. It runs to May 31. The Something to Remember Me By Cedar Chest is available at Lane dealers across the country. Lane is also giving away a free copy of the "Something to Remember Me By" book with all of their popular cedar chest styles. The book is available at Lane dealers, online, and on the Mother's Day display at bookstores (hardcover $15.95, paper $5.95). For the free online Mother's Day Activity Kit and complete Mother's Day Keepsake Story Contest details, visit www.somethingtoremembermeby.org.