Recently, a client was inspired by our article about travel and delivered three chapters of the memoir he is currently writing. Born outside the US, we knew that he had traveled around the world earlier in his life. What we did not realize was the breadth of his travels. The excerpt of the memoir retells his time hitchhiking around southern and central Africa in the 1970s. There are adventure stories, and then there is this!
After reading the ~80 pages, we were struck by what a treasure this could be for his children and future grandchildren. Through writing, he is able to share the experiences and values he has learned over the course of his life. Most of us will not have hundreds of biographies written about us, like George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, but that doesn’t matter. What matters most to your loved ones is being able to learn of your stories and pass those stories on to future generations.
Aside from this activity being valuable to heirs, recounting some of your past experiences can also be a great way to relive some of the things you experienced in your life.
Geoff’s Reflection on Family Stories
One of the most valuable “things” I have from my grandfather was a 4-page interview he gave a few years before he passed away about his time as a Marine in World War II. Like much of the Greatest Generation, wartime was not discussed openly. I knew he served in the Pacific Theater, was shot twice, and received a Purple Heart, but that was it. A local friend interviewed my grandfather for a school project, and I still have a copy of the resulting write-up. While my grandfather was one of the millions of individual stories from the war, it means a lot to me to have that recounting directly from his own personal experiences.
Another family member who took the time to write down his thoughts was my father. While he was alive, he wrote a book about grieving to help people through the loss of loved ones. Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of his book, and I’m not sure I will ever find one. He passed away over a decade ago now, and I would love to read and understand his thoughts and his writing in his own prose.
One thing that I have recently implemented to preserve my own memories is travel writing. Family travel is a big part of my life, and I want to best capture the memories. In addition to photos and videos, I now make a written journal of our trips. As time passes, I find myself re-reading and reflecting on the journeys and the particular ages of my children during our family adventures.
Doug’s Reflection on Passing Down Stories
When considering the recording of stories and experiences, it doesn’t always have to be for others to enjoy. Sometimes, it can help you later relive some of the noteworthy things in your life.
One of the things that I enjoy is reading through the numerous letters my wife and I exchanged when we were younger. We dated in high school, but I went off to college before she did since she was two grades behind me. I was an 8-hour drive away and email had either not yet been invented while long-distance phone calls were expensive, especially for teens without jobs. The only way we could keep in touch was through letters, and we would write often.
Of course, neither of us knew we would eventually marry (in 2005), but each of us kept all the letters that were exchanged. From time to time, we will dig them out and read through a few.
What I enjoy about doing this is that it serves as a walk down memory lane. It helps me remember my younger self and relationships. Unlike pictures, writing helps convey emotions you felt during different points of your life and helps you realize how much you’ve grown.
Now, knowing the benefits of recording events, I have begun dabbling in journaling on the recommendation of a friend of mine. I am not yet disciplined enough to do it every day, but I can already see how it can help me focus on goals and be grateful for things. I see an added benefit of being able to look through entries to relive some of my experiences. It can also be used to recall some of the things we experience to be able to tell stories.
How To Tell Your Story
If this resonates with you, there are now some simple solutions to sharing your own story, even if you aren’t a writer.
Storyworth is an online service that allows you to send weekly email prompts to a family member to get their perspective, history, or memories in writing. After a year, all of the responses are compiled into a high-quality book. This could easily be a gift a child gives a parent to get their reflections or the opposite, where the parent gifts a child their memories in writing.
If you are more interested in handwriting about your experiences, guided journals, such as “Tell Me Your Life Story, Mom” or “Dad, I Want To Hear Your Story,” help provide topics to help you get started. Handwriting is a lost art and something to be treasured. Just look at the actual paper letters that have been saved for decades or even centuries.
For a video/audio storytelling example and inspiration, we recommend watching “The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.” Recorded in 2007 by a Carnegie Mellon University professor not long after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was retiring from teaching. The actual topic was called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” and has now had over 21 million views from around the world. This 75-minute-long video will hopefully inspire you to turn your smartphone camera around and tell your story.
Share Your Legacy
We hope these reflections and examples inspire you to take some time and share your story. Your adventures. Your beliefs. Your experiences. Your successes. Your failures. Your lessons learned.
What can you do to leave a legacy for those you care about or care about you?
Paper and digital storage are cheap. Get your story out there. Someone will probably be very grateful you did.