subject: Using Writing to Pass on Your Family History [print this page] Using Writing to Pass on Your Family History
There is an old adage, write about what you know. Who do you know better than yourself? Whether you are young parents or retired grandparents, passing on your story to your children and grandchildren is a gift that will keep on giving.
Computers make this very easy. If one of your relatives is not comfortable using a computer, buy a journal for them and ask them to write down their memories. A first person account of one's life brings that personal touch that family trees and ancestral information from the computer lack.
Write your story as just that, a true story. Start with your earliest memories. For instance, if your earliest memory is when you were five, you can write when I was five years old, I remember sitting on the front porch every evening waiting for my father to come home from work or, for instance, when I was five I broke my arm, or I remember my first day of Kindergarten. Describe your home when you were five. What job did your father have? Was your mother working, if yes, what did she do? Did you have siblings? What were their names, how old were they when you were five? Did you have a pet? Did your parents divorce? How did you feel about that? Let your readers know where you were born, were you still living in the same city you were born in? Write about your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. What were there names? Where were they born? What stories do you remember about your extended family? If your family owned a car(s), what make, what year was the car(s)?
If you have family photos that are pre-digital, check the backs of photos to see if there is any family history them. Old photos can provide a wealth of information.
Once you determine your earliest memory, the rest will flow. Write about grade school, high school, college. Include the names and cities of the schools you attended. Who was your best friend in third grade or in high school or college? What was your first job? What are you doing at the time of the writing?
If you married, write about meeting the person you married. When, where and how did you meet your future spouse. Describe your wedding. Write about your spouse's family. Where were they from? If your parents divorced, write about that. Write about how you handled that. If your divorced, write about that. Did your spouse die? Write about how your felt and how your life changed.
Do not use your journal to drag up everything that you perceived to be bad, write about important milestones in your life and how they changed your life. That will make it more interesting. If you have children and grandchildren, write about how you felt when you learned you were about to become a parent, a grandparent. Write about each child, their personalities, their accomplishments, etc.
If you are young, keep your history active. Write down everything that affects you and your family. Write about births, deaths, accomplishments, milestones. Be sure to include dates and locations. Ask parents or siblings for their memories and add them to your journal. You will be creating a living document that your siblings, children, and grandchildren can add to and keep current. If you are a senior, pass your journal onto your children and grandchildren. They can update it as a "living" document to be passed from generation to generation. If you are not comfortable with word processing on a computer, believe me one of your family members will computerize your journal.
In this age of e-mails, Twitter, tweets, etc. we may overlook our roots, who we are, how we came to be the person we are. By keeping a written or computerized journal to pass along, we can ensure that future generations will know their roots.
Heather
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