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PERSONAL
& FAMILY HISTORY IDEAS
WHERE TO START -
BRANCHING OUT -
TOPICS -
MAKING MEMORIES
Where To Start & Finding the Time
If you feel comfortable starting at the beginning and
moving through your life step by step, then by all means do so! You can
prepare yourself by sitting down today and writing an outline of time
periods in your life that you especially want to record. Going through
old picture books and memorabilia can help you remember important events
more clearly, and will provide documentation and interest to your
memories.
Some people feel more comfortable remembering and recording as memories
come to them. The most important thing is to write down your memories,
even if they aren't in any logical order. You may want to use a list
such as that on our topics page to trigger memories. You may also find
some of our suggestions in finding the time helpful in getting started.
There are advantages to this sort of memory recording. A front to back
history of your life may be a little dry, while thinking of favorite
memories and stories, recording them, and then organizing them can help
you focus on what really matters to you.
No matter which style appeals to you most, start today. On this page you
will find links to resources that we have found useful in recording a
personal history. Please let us know if you find these resources
helpful.
QUIET BOOK/BABY GIFT
Copy family pictures, and then cut them out and arrange
them on colored cardstock that has been cut into quarters. Arrangements
can be simple, or decorative, but avoid "3-D" items such as buttons,
bows, etc. Pictures can be on the front and back of each piece of
cardstock, or you may arrange the pages and include a brief story or
description of the picture on the page opposite. Laminate each page,
and then punch a hole in the top corner of each page. place a ring
through the hole or tie it losely with a ribbon. Alternatively, you may
have the book spiral bound at a local copy store inexpensively.
Children love to see themselves and others that they
know in a storybook. This is a simple way to interest children in their
family stories from a very young age.
Start with something
that you already do!
Do you write a weekly or monthly email or letter to keep friends and
family updated? Make a copy for yourself, and keep in in a binder!
 Are
you a scrapbooker? Journaling in scrapbooks has become more popular,
and there are many tools to help you incorporate your story into your
scrapbook. If you don't feel comfortable enough with your handwriting
to write the story on the page, experiment with some of the fonts on
your computer and print it out the right size and shape for your page
layout. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but nothing can
replace the insight that you have into the relationships and special
moments that you capture on film.
Do you have a planner or calendar to keep track of your week? Make
extra little notes when special things happen to remind you to record
the events in your journal, or personal history notebook. The pocket
planners that many companies give out at the beginning of the year are
very convenient for this purpose.
One example of a different way that someone has found to
write her own experiences and memories, as well as her feelings for her
ancestors, can be found at the Foremothers website. Carol Easterbrook
Wolf writes poetry, and has used this talent to create a unique and
beautiful record.
MEMORABILIA
The book From Shoeboxes to Books: Writing Great Personal
Histories by Amy J. Oaks Long divides writing a personal history into
ten projects that take you step by step from carefully preserving your
precious photographs and documents, to writing and publishing your
personal history. Each project is complete with examples of what to do
and common mistakes to avoid, while forms located in the appendix
simplify the tasks. With its emphasis on creating a quality heirloom,
even within a budget, this book will prove invaluable to anyone
interested in family history. For more information on these ten steps,
visit:
www.personalhistoryhelp.com or
ORDER NOW
STORY TIME
If you have small children, use story time to begin your family history.
Instead of reading several books, read one, and then tell your children
a story about your childhood. Turn on the tape recorder, and you will
have many precious memories recorded before you know it.
If you are a grandparent, take advantage of visits from your
grandchildren to capture a few memories on tape. One of my favorite
memories is of sitting at my great-grandmother's feet as she told us
stories. She would thread a needle for us, and let us stitch in her
braided-rug footstool as we listened. My grandmother gave me the little
stool with it's funny stitches as a wedding gift, and I treasure it. I
only wish that I had a recording of the stories that Great-Grandma Kygar
told. I can't remember them at all, but I do remember the lovely feeling
of listening to her. Creating memories such as this for your own
grandchildren costs nothing, and can make the time you spend with them
even more meaningful.
FAMILY HOME EVENING
Take 15 minutes each week on a Sunday or at Family Home Evening to
record a memory of your family. This can be a time to tell stories
yourself, but can also be a group effort of the whole family. If you
want to make a history of your family, let each person take a turn to
share one of their favorite memories. You can allow them to come up with
their own ideas, or use one of the ideas from Where to Start.
Alternatively, you may choose one topic each month, and let everyone
think of what they would like to share. Family Home Evening one week
that month can be a discussion of the topic including everyone in the
family. Record these sessions with a tape recorder, or have someone
write down the memories that are shared. Topics could include favorite
Christmas traditions, how each child's name was chosen and what they
were like as a baby, favorite family trips, and favorite scripture
stories (and why).
STOLEN MOMENTS
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Buy a small notebook or note cards to keep with you,
or find a place in your planner. When a memory comes to mind, write it
down in your notebook as soon as you can. If you're in the grocery
store or at an appointment, you can write it down when you get back to
the car. You only need a sentence or two, just to remind you of the
memory.
For example, I was waiting in line for ice cream for my kids and
remembered a special little store off of the highway on the way to my
grandparent's town, where my dad would sometimes stop to buy us an ice
cream cone. "I remember the store in Echo where dad stopped for ice
cream" is enough to remind me of the trips to Grandma and Grandpa's
house, the games we played on the way, and the wonderful little store
that sold the best vanilla ice cream cones.
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Dust off your tape recorder. Use the time while you
are doing dishes, or commuting to work to record your stories. Talk
about the memories that you've jotted down in step number one, or
choose a topic from our list of suggested
topics.
Some people choose to start with their birth, and go forward. Some
prefer to record their memories as they come to mind. Remember that
it's still a rough draft, and that you can add, delete and reorganize
later.
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If tape recording doesn't work for you, try to find an
hour or two each week that you can devote to your personal history.
It's best if you can spend at least half of an hour at a time, but you
can make do with less. Maybe you have an hour each Sunday afternoon,
or 30 minutes in the evenings when the children go to bed. You can be
flexible with yourself if you need to be, but if you're like me,
you'll need to set an appointment and keep it. Use this time to
elaborate on the memory notes that you've made. Like those who are
taping their stories, don't worry too much about keeping things
organized yet, just write things down as they come to you. If you keep
your notes on loose-leaf paper you can easily organize them into
subjects in the next step.
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Remember that your story can have volumes or can be
kept in a three ring binder so that it can be added to later. Don't
wait until you think you've remembered everything to finalize your
history. Work on one volume at a time. When you feel that you have
enough memories recorded to compile volume one, use your personal
history hour to organize your memories. Some people like to start at
the beginning, and go on in chronological order. Others prefer
chapters with similar memories, such as Holidays, School,
My Childhood Home, etc. Whatever you choose, make a note of
where the memory belongs next to the memory if you wrote them down, or
next to the reminder in your memory notebook if you tape recorded it
(see the example below).
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The final step is typing your history. You may choose
to type it yourself, or have a friend or family member help. You may
also choose to hire a transcription service. Include a few pictures
that illustrate some of your memories if you have them, and print your
history in a basic font that is easy to match. This will lend some
continuity to your volumes of history, or make it possible for you to
simply add new memories to your first volume as you go along.
Copyright 2001-2004 By Barbara Anne
Williams & Chris Kennard
Permission granted for personal,
non-commercial of this page text only.
May not be published in any form
without express written permission from Bits of Ivory.
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