“They’re not interested,” is a line that we often hear when an author is hesitant about sharing their story. Perhaps this statement comes from having experienced the dour, blank faces of teenage relatives, eager to prove their disinterest in anything that isn’t cool to them. More often, perhaps, this idea comes from a self-doubt, a concern that they haven’t anything extraordinary to say.
A desire to dispel this notion is exactly why LifeBook Memoirs was founded. Everyone has a story to tell, and it’s vital that it is preserved for the people to whom it will matter most—even if they don’t yet realize it!
In might come as a surprise to hear that, according to studies, more than 90 percent of teenagers and young adults can retell family stories when asked, even if they seemed uninterested when the histories were told in the first place. These family stories not only connect generations and bridge gaps between them, but they also help build a sense of identity in the latest generation—a crucial thing for young people trying to find their way in the world. Telling your stories and sharing your family history, therefore, will be beneficial not only to you but also constructive and informative for them too. You can read more about how talking about your ancestors is beneficial here.
In the past, you might have dismissed questions about your life and experiences or perhaps just struggled to find the time to answer them amid your busy schedule. Perhaps you felt that your stories were too ordinary, or you doubted the interest of others. However, these stories are the vital threads that weave the fabric of your family’s legacy. They offer younger generations a unique and cherished window into their heritage, and one day—if not now—they will appreciate that you took the time and care to respond to their unanswered questions.
You are history
When we are young and everything is new to us, history can feel like a remote country, as indeed can the world itself. Heritage stories of ancestors journeying to a new land to build better lives have helped generations of Americans to form their cultural identities and to connect with the wider world—a tradition that is a collective duty to uphold.
The experience of hearing stories of hardship and loss can shape the way we handle our own struggles and how we take on adversity, but those stories are equally capable of passing down more domestic, everyday forms of inspiration. Handed-down anecdotes of love and friendship can inform the way future generations forge relationships, raise children, and make connections. After all, there are some things that don’t change, no matter how much time passes or where in the world one might find themselves.
What questions?
So, to fill the gaps in your loved ones’ knowledge with the information they would love to have, think back to the questions they’ve asked you in the past. Write down as many as you can think of: important ones, silly ones, the ones that make you stop and think.
And don’t stop there. If you feel comfortable doing so, why not go above and beyond by expanding the picture of your life that you give them? Ask yourself everything that you ever wanted to know about your own parents and grandparents, and make yourself the connecting link to your descendants’ family history.
Here are some suggestions:
- What do you know about your grandparents? Who were they and where were they from? Do you know anything about your ancestors prior to your grandparents?
- How do you remember your parents? What were their personalities?
- What was your childhood like? How was yours different to that of your grandchildren today? What was your childhood home like? What kind of relationships did you have with your siblings? What mischief did you get up to? Who inspired you most growing up? Who is one person from your childhood that you’ll never forget?
- What do you remember of life during the various historic events that you might have lived through? For instance, how was your life affected by World War Two? Do you remember where you were when you heard that President Kennedy had been assassinated? Did you fear being drafted to serve in Vietnam?
- How has your life changed over the years?
- Who is the most influential person you’ve ever known?
- What has made you proud?
- What was the most rewarding moment of your life?
- What do you regret?
- If you could go back in time, how would you “do life differently”?
Answer questions like these, and others like them, and you won’t just be resolving your family’s unanswered questions; you’ll be reliving moments and memories to cherish forever.
Going further back
Preparing to share your own stories might throw out questions that you wish to answer about your family ancestry too. Modern technology makes it easier than ever to research family history, using online resources such as the National Archives, The Family History Guide, and Family Search. Unveiling the mysteries of your family tree is now possible at the touch of a key.
Turning the archival information you glean by answering your own questions into a narrative is the best way to share that knowledge with others. By transforming it into a book, you make your family’s past more accessible to relatives who may one day have questions of their own.
The ultimate gift
One of the most meaningful ways to answer your family’s questions in a lasting and engaging format is to write your autobiography or memoir. Doing so enables you to preserve your experiences, insights, and treasured memories in a way that future generations can easily connect with and appreciate.
If the idea of embarking on such a project feels overwhelming, LifeBook Memoirs can guide you through the process, ensuring your story is captured beautifully and thoughtfully, and without the stress of doing it all yourself.
An autobiography also affords the opportunity to share precious photos more widely. In this digital age, when photos can be shared so easily, it will eventually be rare to be unable to access images of one’s life and relatives, but it’s likely that many hardcopy photos of your life might otherwise need a custodian—a single person who keeps the pictures to show interested family members. This is something that becomes increasingly difficult with the passage of time. With copies of a LifeBook to share around, however, your relatives and other readers will be able to look at their history too, putting faces to the stories you share about their ancestors.
“I wish I’d asked them,” is a statement that a great many people voice in their lifetimes about their loved ones—loved ones who had possibly once thought, “They’re not interested.” Wouldn’t it be the ultimate gift to save your loved ones from having to ask and a way to avoid the risk of questions going unanswered forever? A LifeBook will be that resource, living on in posterity to ensure that your personal story and your family story endures. In short, it’s a gift that will give back again and again.
Contact our team today to inquire about creating a LifeBook for your family, and ensure that you leave no questions unanswered.
Written by Isabella Samuels, LifeBook Memoirs editor
