1. Plant the desire/commitment to want to share memories of your life story with your descendants by doing something, then ACT!
2. Write down your earliest memories of your parents. What were they like? Where did you live, etc.? How did they influence who you are today? Include good or bad examples, trials, triumphs, siblings, etc.
3. Share fun or unique experiences you had with your grandparents. How were they part of your life, etc.? Where did they live? What occupations or hobbies did they have? Do you have any photos of them? Did they serve in the military? What political views did they have? Personalities?
4. Any tidbits of information or stories about your great grandparents? Where were they from, any ethnic celebrations or traditions that were a part of family celebrations? What was happening in the world when they were raising their family?
5. Type on the computer or write down a little bit each day as memories come, to edit and organize later. Write freely, you are making a rough draft that you can go back to and refine later. If you don't know the name of your grandparents or great grands––hold the fort, in a later blog, we'll talk about researching but do check with your oldest living relatives for what they know. More on interviewing relatives later.
6. ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE, you've started writing your family history!
Good morning. I'm headin into the office. I have a couple of contractrs that need some tweaking. I'll comment when I get settled in for the day.
ReplyDeleteWhat?? A politician?? Aackkk!!
Great stuff, Lin. You're talking about talking to each other and thinking with a view to sharing. It's wonderful stuff--and wonderful to think our stories are worth remembering. It's always fun when people remember differently, too!
ReplyDeleteOkay... I'm depressed already. I don't know much of anything about my dad's parents. They were killed together when I was a baby. My mom's parents were so, so old... (well, grandma was my age actually, but she was a lot older than I am, if you know what I mean) Grandpa had some real years on him. Maybe once I sit down and start to write I'll remember more than I think I can... but it's looking like a pretty barren tree from here. (This doesn't seem like an appropriate venue for poetic license)
ReplyDeleteI will be a trooper and give it an honest unexaggerated shot, though.
That really is a good idea. I did a book for my daughter's 21st birthday that had memories from mine and my husband's childhoods and stories about her as a baby and on up. Then we did a Mother-daughter book with questions asked back and forth and written about..They are very special things to do and to have...
ReplyDeleteI'm reading from top to bottom (last to first) so this is more great info. With all this I'll be well on my way next session, in a couple of weeks.
ReplyDelete