Why Write?
Do you know all the people in those old black and white photos stashed away in a shoebox? Nope. I don't either. There's my Dad with a bunch of cowboys, obviously at a rodeo, and I don't have a clue who any of them were.
And there he is with one arm around a young lady, looking very pleased with himself, while she has a look of dismay on her face. I wonder who she is: a cousin, friend, girlfriend? No idea. There’s nothing written on the back. No date; no place; no names. I only know it’s my Dad because, well, he’s my Dad!
How sad, though, that the others have faded into oblivion. I have no pictures of his mother, so I pretend this is her. What was she like, I wonder. She died before I was born. I wish I knew this woman — my grandmother — even if it's only on paper. I would give anything to come across a journal she had kept, or letters she had written, or stories my Dad wrote about her. But now Dad's gone, and there's no one to ask.
Writing our life stories is so important for future generations. Yes, I know... you think your
life has been boring, nothing worth writing about. You might think writing your autobiography sounds pretentious,
or that memoirs are only for celebrities. But consider the fact that each of us is a part of history. Our individual
stories create the collective memories that become our legacy.
It’s a fact that most of us, after reaching a certain age of maturity, begin to wonder about
those we came from; about our parents and grandparents lives, our heritage, our ancestral countries. Haven’t you?
My maternal grandmother finally began writing about her life at age 90. I read about her growing
up on a farm, being the youngest of 10 children, marrying at 16, and more I’d never known. She never did anything
newsworthy, nor even very exciting, but nevertheless, I've treasured the opportunity to read and learn about her
life.
Dee with herGrandma - at almost 102!
If you’ve thought about writing your life’s stories, but thought it too daunting a project,
here are two books that will break the task into small, manageable steps.
Write Your Life Story in 28 Days offers one or two exercises per day and suggests topics relating to the meaningful
events of your life.LifeNotes is a user-friendly workbook, that will allow you to write about whatever you feel is important at the time, in no particular order.
These books are not fill-in-the-blank books meant to be the finished product. Many find that those kinds of books don't allow enough space to say all that needs to be said about a topic. And the topics, while general enough to cover most life experiences, don’t allow for the unique events and adventures of each individual’s particular life.
These books give you the freedom to write about the most important and meaningful events of your life.
Want regular life-writing tips and topics? Check out The Life Story Lady blog!