Why you should record your parents now
MEMORY LOSS
They may be in denial, but you know. Their handwriting is beginning to look a bit shaky. They repeat themselves more often. Are holiday trips shorter and closer to home? Perhaps mobility is beginning to be challenging. They’re active and social but their world is definitely beginning to shrink. Sound familiar?
FROM THE SOURCE
You’ve heard their stories many times and no doubt you’ll repeat them to your own kids. Collect their memoir from the source, complete with that familiar voice and all the gestures. You'll be surprised how many stories you haven’t heard. Granny was a bra burner dancing her way around festivals in a mini-skirt. Grandad got arrested in an outback town you didn’t even know he’d visited. Ancestors you didn’t know about suddenly have names and locations and careers. Capture it while you can.
REGRET
So many people who find out about what I do tell me how much they regret not recording their parents’ and grandparents' stories.
Urgency
Maybe you've asked many times and they've said, "Yeah, I'll write it down one of these days".
Give them a gentle push with a booking or a gift certificate.
An example of a lost opportunity
Ron's regret
One of the hardest things to do for us when my father died, was try to capture a snapshot of his life to share with others at his funeral. It had me swearing at myself for not doing this better, sooner.
In fact, it had me cursing the fact that I hadn't recorded any of his stories at all. Not one.
Mostly, I really regret not catching both he and my mother, sharing their story. That story was -told by them - an amazing one and one I wish I'd recorded every single time they shared it with others, as something new would come out at every telling.
If you're in a place where this is something you're able to get in front of, then find those around you who can help. Your loved one's stories matter.
Why not go see if what Amanda at SoFro Media is doing can help you some. It can't help to suss it out.
