Storytelling is medicine for the soul, and families are the guardians of community and culture. So when we spark memories for each other; even on sensitive topics, we create an environment in which healing may start.
You can inspire others by sharing the historical context of your life and your values, experiences, accumulated life wisdom, and insights. Stories also mend rifts between generations or individuals, because when you honor what was good, you find how to forgive what was bad and reconcile with your past
Read anew the biblical legacy of this tradition as recorded in Genesis 49.
Create an heirloom document for your loved ones.Whether your personal history is written or passed along orally through a video or cassette tape, your reminiscing is a vital exercise for the spirit. Writing your memoirs, particularly at a turning point, in midlife, or toward the end of a long life, will preserve the most valuable resource you can give your loved ones: the love and wisdom you brought to this world.You’ll find joy and surprise, as will others.
Get ready for the adventure, then, and let the following tips guide you in preserving your personal and family pearls.
Gather the strongest memories that lie on the surface of your experience. Listen compassionately to yourself. Jump-start your reflections by bringing to mind
• turning points and defining moments and your emotive responses;
• times you felt strong emotions, ecstasy or despair;
• what you’re concerned about or believe;
• what you’re grateful for, things you’ve learned early or late in life;
• family anecdotes, sayings, traditions, and recipes; vacation chronicles and journals from trips or birthday parties;
• what your house or hometown looked like and your favorite things about it;
• your favorite books, movies, music, clothes, and places;
• people who influenced you and how they changed you;
• what you will regret not having done if you don’t live long enough;
• hopes and dreams for loved ones.
Write or record your memories at random. Start with the most vivid things in your memory or the things that meant the most to you. Work your way to the vaguer memories and then to the very faint Just record what comes to you and don’t stress over what you don’t remember Now thread these together into a treasured work of art. Pen or type them on separate pieces of paper and compile by date, starting furthest back. Attach one to the other by metal clip rings from a stationery store just as they are.You may want to copy the pages and present a chain of them as a gift to family members for a special occasion.
Create a personal time capsule by gathering personal mementos,writing small notes recording what each item means to you, and storing them in an airtight mouse-proof box for safekeeping. Include a love letter to family members you may never meet such as great-grandchildren or grandnieces and grandnephews, telling them what you would most like them to know about you.