One of the most common motivations for LifeBook authors embarking upon their project is the desire to ‘centralise’ key facts and stories about their family\u2019s heritage and to make them accessible to future generations. The good news is that family history comes in many forms and can be passed on in just as many different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are ten of the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the most ubiquitous of family-history documents, the family tree not only documents how your ancestors interconnect but makes further genealogical research<\/a> easier by providing a single point of reference for full names and dates of birth and death. We may all be familiar with images of huge parchment sheets being unfolded to reveal beautiful calligraphy and illustrations, but nowadays simple templates are available online which fulfil the exact same role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While a personal timeline is a great tool for helping others understand the chronology of a life, why not consider expanding it to refer to world events? So often, LifeBook <\/a>stories encompass short explanations of why a country that an author once travelled to now has a different name or how communication was maintained in the days before digital technology. Timelines for different ancestors could even be compared to highlight societal changes, such as the age at which marriage and childbirth typically occurred in lives across the generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it spans a county, country or the entire globe, a visual representation of key places within a family\u2019s story can really make the past tangible in the present day. Places of birth, marriage and death will be formally documented, but what about including schools attended, locations of long-term employment or even migration routes followed by previous generations? (A DNA test could help you uncover ethnic origins you knew nothing about.) The inclusion of contemporaneous photographs of key locations can provide a real flavour of the lives lived there, and family trips to visit the locations in question are a way for family members of all ages to connect tangibly with the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Formal documents are invaluable for their factual content, but nothing brings an ancestor to life more than reading a document that they personally wrote. Letters, diaries<\/a>, greetings cards\u2026 even a scribbled note reminding its writer to some to buy milk! Personal documents like these can all become treasured by future generations. It\u2019s not just the content that matters, but how they allow us to see a loved one\u2019s handwriting after many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Digitising old home videos to ensure they are not lost to advancing technology and obsolescence is a great step, as having accessible media that captures movement and voice (even if that is someone\u2019s dodgy dancing at a family wedding!) is of the highest value to future generations. Often, it is the major life events that get recorded, but don\u2019t overlook the value in the everyday. Some of the most impactful videos can be the ones recorded simply to check that a new piece of kit was working properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even without video, you could create a slideshow of photographs accompanied by carefully selected music to add another dimension to the traditional dusty photo album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all know the feeling that only comes when a particular dish transports you back in time. As a ghostwriter for LifeBook Memoirs, I have lost count of the number of authors I\u2019ve heard speak wistfully (and mouth-wateringly!) about their culinary memories<\/a>. What better family heritage could there be than a foolproof Yorkshire pudding recipe that is documented and passed on for future generations to enjoy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not just about ingredients and measurements, but also the unique individual tweaks made over time, the memories made during the making and the lasting legacy of nourishing a family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While a last will and testament and a power of attorney help manage a person\u2019s legal and financial affairs, an ethical will or legacy <\/a>letter can help communicate lessons, values and advice, whether sentimental or silly. Some may choose to write theirs from a position of gratitude and mindfulness, centring it on Ho\u2019oponopono \u2013 the ancient Hawaiian practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. Others go for a more practical approach, with tips on leadership, problem solving and how to make the most of your luck in life. Whatever it includes, a letter from an ancestor that documents what they learnt from a life well lived is always sure to be a cherished artifact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all take photographs <\/a>when we visit new places, even if we\u2019re only there for a day or two. We also take photographs of the people in our lives, especially during key milestone moments, but often the background of those snaps can be blurry or obscured. We don\u2019t often think about preserving a record of our home by taking intentional photographs of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t you wish you could show your grandchildren exactly what the view from your childhood bedroom window looked like? When they themselves are adults, wouldn\u2019t they like to have a clear photo of Granny\u2019s kitchen or Grandpa\u2019s study to look back on? Even a treasured possession<\/a> that has been passed down the generations may gain extra meaning when paired with a photograph of it in situ and being used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have mentioned how photographs, video and handwriting can make family history come alive to future generations, but what about more creative pursuits?<\/p>\n\n\n\n One particular author told us how much it meant to him that he had a number of pictures on the walls of his home that had been painted by his father, an enthusiastic amateur artist. Another author wished she had a recording of her mother performing during her brief early career as an opera singer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once again, it is the connection to the person that is paramount, not the expertise on display. And, with that in mind, the leaky mug you made during that six-week pottery course could easily be the family heirloom that outlasts many others!<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Create a family timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Plot a family map<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Assemble documents with a more personal flavour<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Preserve visual media<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Create a family recipe book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. Write an ethical will or legacy letter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Photograph homes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. Capture your talents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
10. Write or commission a life story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n