Memoir Writing - More Than Names and Dates

Imagine having a copy of your great-grandmother's journal to tell you about her daily life on the farm in 1880. Or a first-hand account by your grandfather of the long journey from the old country.

Now listen to your grandchildren, years from now, saying, "If only my grandfather/grandmother had written down a few stories for us. We'd know more about them!" It doesn't have to be that way for the future. You can succeed at writing your personal and family stories. Don't put off the task. It's not as hard as you think.

Instead of the uncertain understanding of who their ancestors were, your children and their children can read well-written, interesting stories that share insights and details of who you (and your spouse) have been and are. They can know the answers to questions like: "What was life like when you were a child? How did you make the difficult decision to move or marry? How did you become the person you are today?"

Ordinary people can write their autobiographies. People must learn to regard their own life stories as worth recording. The keys to success in memoir writing are organization and approach. The right start can keep you motivated and confident.

An especially useful first step--emotionally--is to rid yourself of the misconception that only famous or notorious people have stories worth telling. You may well be an "ordinary" person whose life decisions quietly add up to a hero's tale. I remember one lifewriter who raised her five children alone after her husband's premature death. Every one of them eventually graduated from college. She kept saying, 'what else could I do? Of course I helped them out!' The other workshop participants wouldn't let her discount her significant achievement. Writing her stories gave this high school drop-out the chance to acknowledge her life's success, and the tales of humor and hardship and love she wrote down became a great affirmation for her whole family.

The idea of remembering, reviewing and recording definitive versions of our family histories and our own lifestories, like many tasks we undertake in life, can be overwhelming. Reflect on parenting as an example.

Parenting is a creative project that would have daunted a lot of us if it had to be done all at once. Think of all those dirty diapers and sleepless nights, teacher conferences, recitals, ball games, dental appointments, and insurance payments--if they came all together, who could approach parenting at all let alone with eager delight? Thankfully, as parents, we only had to meet each day's challenges as they come.

Approach life writing in the same way: write each memory or family story, each character or event one step at a time. 

You'll find the rewards are there waiting for you and your family--understanding and appreciation of who you are and where you've come from, affirmation and celebration of what you've achieved and where you're headed--rewards that take you far beyond the names and dates.

Celebrating and honoring your life by remembering and writing both big and small stories is very rewarding. It's a significant way to understand your life and to come to peace with it. Your memoirs are a legacy your family will treasure for generations--don't you wish your grandparents had written their memoirs?

You hold a treasure trove of experience and insight in your memories. Write your memoirs!

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