Sledding, Stories, and Dad: How We Carry Him With Us Every Day
*This is a wonderful story shared by our customer V. (she did not wish to share her full name) about her dad who is forever in her heart and always knew how to make her feel special.
Growing up, Dad was always the first one up on family days—Saturdays spent sledding during the winter, summers at the lake, even lazy Sunday mornings with pancakes and cartoons. He had this incredible way of making us kids feel like we were living the greatest adventures, even if we never left our hometown. It wasn’t just what we did—it was how he made those moments feel.
Dad was the glue of our big family—five kids, which in itself felt like a small army. Now we’re all grown, with kids of our own, but the best part was watching Dad as a grandpa. He was never too tired to take the grandkids outside, or too busy to sit down and tell a story. And oh, the stories—stories about how he met Mom, about joining the military, about working for 35 years at a job he loved. Dad could take the simplest detail, like walking to work in the snow, and somehow make it sound like the best day of his life.
"He Made Memories Feel Like Magic"
One of my favorite memories—and I think my siblings would agree—was sledding in the backyard after a fresh snowfall. Dad would be out there early, boots on, shoveling a path, building ramps, making sure the snow was packed just right. He’d always yell, “Alright, who’s up first?” like we were about to compete in the Olympics.
As the oldest, I had the privilege of seeing how hard Dad worked behind the scenes to make our childhood special. Now, I see the same look in my brothers’ and sisters’ eyes when they do things for their own kids—an unspoken thank you to Dad, the man who taught us what it means to show up for the people you love.
Even after he’s been gone, it’s like Dad is still with us. It’s the way my sister pulls out that sledding photo every winter, the way we all gather around during the holidays and tell “Grandpa stories” to the little ones who didn’t get to know him quite as long.
"Wearing a Cherished Emblem: Keeping Dad Close"
When we lost Dad, each of us grieved in our own way. But something happened that brought us closer together—my sister found these beautiful memorial keepsakes called Cherished Emblems. Small, simple pendants that hold so much meaning. Each one has Dad’s initials engraved, and we all wear them every day.
Some mornings, I catch myself holding onto my Cherished Emblem necklace, running my thumb over the engraving when I think about Dad. It’s like he’s right there—on my heart, with me when I need him most. I see my younger brother doing the same thing during tough days at work. And for my mom, her emblem is something she holds every morning, like a quiet ritual to start her day with him.
"Dad’s Legacy Lives On in Us"
Every winter, when the first snow falls, my kids wake up at sunrise, just like we did, ready to go sledding. I pull on my boots, grab the shovels, and I swear I hear Dad laughing as I pack down the snow.
And when I tell them stories about Grandpa—the same ones he told me about meeting Grandma, or the day he joined the military—they sit wide-eyed, like his grandkids always did. Dad always said that a good story keeps someone alive in your heart forever, and I believe that’s true.
The thing about loss is that it never really goes away—you just learn how to carry it. And for us, that’s exactly what our Cherished Emblems do. They’re more than just memorial jewelry; they’re a way to keep Dad close. Every day, in the little moments—when the first snow falls, or when I hear my daughter laughing—I feel him there.
"The Love We Carry"
Dad wasn’t just the best of all of us; he was the best for all of us. He taught us how to love, how to show up, how to create moments that mattered. And even though he’s gone, we carry him with us every day—in our stories, our traditions, and in the small keepsakes that remind us of him.
The sledding hills are smaller now, the snow a little quieter, but Dad’s laughter? It’s still here. It’s in the memories we share, in the stories we tell, and in the Cherished Emblems we wear to honor him.
If you’ve ever lost someone who meant the world to you, you know how important it is to have something to hold onto. For us, that’s Dad’s stories—and the emblems that let us carry him, always