Over Thanksgiving we had asked my dad if he would write a memoir (just for us) about his childhood in the village and his journey to the U.S. in the 1950s and his life in a new country. He has spent the last 4 months working on it, and when I went home last weekend to surprise my mom for her birthday, along with my brother. I was thrilled to find out that he had written about 100 pages already. (And it's not done yet). One of the highlights of my trip (besides just spending time together) was getting to read what he has written so far. It was so profound and moving to read and I got to tell him how much I appreciated it. The reason I'm sharing this is because I think it's a great idea to ask an elderly person to share about their life in writing---it is a gift both for them and for the recipient.
And if they can't write it, then they can dictate it or you can record them talking about their life (my husband did this with several relatives). I never realized how absolutely precious this gift is--sharing memories and experiences (some of which you may have heard before, some you haven't) from the past with a loved one
1342 Reads
- Posted by cabbage
- Jun 7, 2017
- Comments (12)
Readers Comments
sandra wrote: Thank you for sharing - it is a lasting piece of their lives that can be read and read / or listened to over and over, long after they are no longer with us.
Rajni wrote: Elders have treasure of experiences and stories to learn from. You did a great job asking dad to write. My brother recorded many hours of my mother telling her story asking questions. Feeling to have it is always great. Thanks for sharing.
gardengal10 wrote: Great suggestion
raevienne wrote: Making it up to 10 for you keep up the good work.
mindyjourney wrote: How beautiful that father is doing! Thank you for asking him and yes, it's a lovely suggestion â¤ï¸.
Mish wrote: So timely..will be spending some time soon w/an elder and you have sparked me with this. Great idea , cabbage. ðŸ‘
raevienne wrote: I'm glad you said this, as on the 7th April this year, I lost my Grandmother who would have been 90 in June. The thing is she didnt want to write it all down so she told numerous of people. Just after her funeral at the wake, I got pieces of paper out and asked people to write down the stories they told her... Well lets just say my grandmother should have written a book!
DotMatrix wrote: This is so awesome. I wish everyone would do this for family. Every story is so important. What a beautiful gift. This is why my Volunteer Biographers got started to help people do this. Thanks for sharing this great story, Cabbage! ♥.
splain wrote: Your dad is giving you a gift that is just so special. A treasure for the whole family
savraj wrote: Wonderful idea. Thankyou
