Record Your Life Stories
as They Happen!
By Jill Novak
Just
think of all the experiences you and your children have shared together:
everyday moments, special times, or life lessons tailor-made by
God—irreplaceable stories that you thought you would never forget. Yet life
rushes by like a reel of film on a movie projector, thousands of unique
experiences in a blur. Precious few will be remembered unless they are
viewed in slow motion. Family writing slows the motion.
Like the genealogies of the Bible, words beget words
and stories beget stories. Before you know it, you’re recording the ordinary
moments of your day, and something extraordinary happens—you and your
children become writers! The gift of words and the means of expressing them
flow from the heart of God to all of your children. When you teach them to
capture their thoughts, feelings, and perceptions on paper, you enable them
to remember; and in remembering your family members are bonded to each other
and the Lord in a more profound way.
Families are constantly changing. Children grow up and leave childish things
behind. As time goes by, the memory of your home life with them fades. It
doesn't have to be this way, though. Your family's life stories and unique
spiritual heritage can be preserved through The Gift of Family Writing.
Remembering the Past
Every family has at least one member who can
remember—as if it were yesterday—events that happened in the family when he
or she was a child. My husband Robert (the only boy among three sisters) is
the storyteller in his family. Most of his accounts are about the family
farm and fishing trips in Canada. Our children were raised on these stories
and value them as part of their heritage. When our family moved to a farm in
1999, new “farm stories” began to take shape. I recorded them in a journal,
knowing we would forget these experiences if I didn't write them down. My
husband’s love of storytelling had rubbed off on me.
Gradually I was drawn to read books about
recording your life stories and writing from the heart. Geared toward
adults, these books focused on writing memoirs or life stories for your
children and grandchildren. As I read, a thought arose in my mind: Why
aren't we recording our children's life stories as they happen? We're with
them all the time. What wouldn't any of us give to read—in our own words—the
accounts of people, places, or things that mattered to us when we were
young? How much easier it would be for our children to write their life
stories now, while they're still fresh on their minds!
I began to really listen to my children. I was
amazed to hear how many words they used to describe their experiences, and
surprised at how naturally they expressed themselves. The younger ones only
needed me to write their stories down. A bond formed that wasn’t there
before; I was hearing the hearts of my children through the words of their
experience.
Recording Your Life Stories
You may not have thought about recording your
life stories together as a family. I know I hadn’t. I’m amazed that it never
occurred to me to have my two oldest children narrate their daily
experiences to me when they were younger. I didn’t realize that we could
write about all the wonderful things we’ve done together as a family or that
I could preserve my spiritual walk so my children and grandchildren would
know the awesome God we serve. One thing I’ve learned, though, it’s never
too late to journal your life stories. As long as you live and breathe there
will be plenty of experiences to preserve on paper.
