A project for your parents
The importance of leaving a family history
Biographies & Memoirs
“When a parent dies, it’s the end. I always wanted to chronicle the family history with my mother. But I wasn’t forceful, and I didn’t make it happen. That’s one regret I have. I didn’t get as much of the family history as I could have for the kids.”
Robert De Niro, quoted in Esquire.
The same story — again!
How many times have we heard our parents and grandparents repeating the same stories over and over again?
Carol Bradley Bursack, an expert in matters relating to the Third Age, says the following:
“As we age, life takes on a different perspective. There’s a human need to make sense of what has happened in one’s past, and reflect on what will be our legacy. The added years give us a chance to view our past with distance and some perspective. Retelling stories about our past is one way to work through this process. In other words, if your parents retell a story every now and then, and you think “I’ve heard that a hundred times,” please have the patience to let them tell it again. Your elder is working through the past to find a sense of meaning. Consciously or unconsciously, elders often want to figure out how their past has shaped their present, and how it will play into their future.”
At My Special Book we have often had the honor of helping parents and grandparents tell their own stories and those of their families. It’s a fantastic way of getting them involved with a life project — one that will both motivate and excite them.
To record your memories and reminiscences in a book brings a profound sense of achievement, satisfaction and the sense of having done something important. A project like this can have a rejuvenating effect.
Give your parents and grandparents the opportunity to share and record their stories and experiences. Not only will it bring both you and them great satisfaction, it will also ensure that your family history is passed down the generations.
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Originally published at www.myspecialbook.com
