I did this for my daughter from the day she was born until her first birthday. Several times in my life, I’ve used a blank wall calendar as a journal, writing one tiny memory a day inside those little squares. I have miniature notebooks where I capture funny things my kids say. I have a file on my smartphone where I capture spiritual insights and a-ha moments. I have a journal like that, but I have other kinds of journals, too. Long-form, paragraph-style writing is just one way to capture memories about your life. (Yes, I really do have a story about cheese.) I have an encyclopedia-style document on my computer where I gather memories under alphabetized topics: “Adventures with Jori,” “Body Quirks,” “Cheese,” etc. As you write your stories down, you can add whatever structure to your memories you want. Memories tend to pop up at random, triggered by the strangest things. After all, you don’t remember your life in chronological order. You can use the time line for reference only, then write your stories in any order you want. I know I told you to make a time line, but there’s no rule that says you have to write your life story in chronological order. If anyone ever says, “Yeah, you told me that one before,” that’s a clue the story is important to you. Think about the anecdotes you find yourself telling over and over-like that disaster you narrowly avoided, that crazy coincidence, that one time you ran into a famous person.
Then elaborate on each of them, one by one. Not sure where to start with your personal or family history? Start by making a list of stories you want to write down eventually. Return to top Trigger Memories Authentically 6. The important thing is to capture them while they’re still fresh you can always organize and rearrange your memories later. Even if you don’t have time to delve deeply into the past right now, make a regular habit of capturing and collecting current thoughts and memories. It doesn’t matter how far behind you feel you are in capturing your personal history. If you’re inspired to keep going, you’ll have a great framework for writing a thorough personal history. If all you ever complete in your personal history is this list of major life events, that’s a lot better than nothing. Unhappy events like divorces and deaths will make the list too. Now start adding in all of the big turning points that divide your life into chapters: being born, going to school, moving, changing schools, reaching religious milestones, learning to drive, graduating, getting a job, changing jobs, getting married, having children. In a notebook or a computer document, write down each year you’ve been alive. This practice adds structure to fragmented memories, making it easier to write them down later. They get together and reminisce and repeat some of the same stories over and over. One of the reasons my cousin’s words came so alive for me is because her family members are all great verbal storytellers. No one is more qualified to tell your family’s story than you are. Would you like to make 2018 a year to tell your family stories? Let these simple tips inspire you to put pen to paper. What matters is that our stories get told, in all of their imperfect glory. What matters is authenticity, voice, and perspective. I didn’t once notice an ungrammatical sentence in that collection of memories. Her words painted a vivid picture of him that made me miss him acutely.
Telling my story over blog full#
The stories Natalie shared were interesting and specific, full of fun details and sayings Grandpa was known for. I’m sad my memory isn’t better.” I was surprised. One of my favorite entries came from my cousin, Natalie, who signed off with an apology: “I’m not a good writer, so hopefully this all made sense. He compiled the memories in a 16-page document and printed copies for everyone. Prior to the reunion, he invited his four siblings and their children to email him their favorite memories of Grandpa Bob.
Seventeen years after my Grandpa Bob passed away, my dad planned a family reunion at a park in Northern Utah.
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