A Family History

A Gift Only We Can Give: Our Memories

It's me again--with my New year's resolution!

Guess what: many of us are leaving pieces of our lives scattered across social media—posts and photos that may not last or remain accessible to the people who matter most.

I've been nudged into correcting that habit. Recently my son asked me to write a family history. "You've told me a lot," he said, "but I won't remember everything."

I know family memories are important. My parents and older siblings have passed away, leaving me the oldest member of my immediate family. At least once a week I think of something about our family that I'd like to ask Mom, but it's too late!

Writing a family history "from scratch" seems like too much work at this time. I need prompts--the ability to "fill in the blanks." I've noticed many guided journals in bookstores and online, with titles of "Story of My Life" or "My Memory Book." Years ago I bought one of these for Mom. She was in her 90s at that time, and wasn't enthusiastic about filling in the pages, but she did record few memories that otherwise we wouldn't have known about.

Since I prefer a computer keyboard to pen and paper, I've settled on a digital format for my memory book, and I'm going to use Google Docs. The document saves automatically as I type, stays private unless I choose to share it, and can be printed later as a booklet or saved as a PDF. I could use a computer program like Microsoft Word in the same way, but Google Docs is more easily shareable, and that's important.

I'll be able to include photos, and I can add to the document as I feel like it. I can also include a geneology file I created in an online search some time ago. I am going to organize my history in these sections:

Family & Ancestry – Parents, grandparents, and family stories

Early Life & Childhood – Home, school, routines, and friendships

Growing Up – Responsibilities, interests, and culture of the time

Education & Work – Schooling, first jobs, and daily work life

Relationships – Friendships, dating, marriages, and lessons learned

Parenthood – Early days your children won’t remember

Hard Times & Loss – Illness, divorce, death, and resilience

Everyday Life & Culture – Food, holidays, technology, ordinary days

Values & Reflections – What mattered most and what you hope is remembered

Now that I have this memory-helper set up, I feel a lot better about tackling the project!

Happy New Year!

New Book!

This my first non-fiction work, a helper for people who for one reason or other need to make extra money from home. It's targeted to people in small-town and rural areas, where there are fewer employers. I've created an inexpensive ebook ($1.99) and a paperback for $9.99. I kind of know what I'm talking about--I started a home-based business from our farm in the 1980s, when working from home was a brand new idea. I hope this book will be helpful to others. Maybe you know someone who will find it just what they need.