Don’t you want to be remembered as more than a faded photograph with your name written on the back?
Did you realize that in less than two generations, everything you know and have experienced in life will be reduced to a dash between the birth and death date on your headstone? Studies have shown that the more children know about their family history and stories the greater their chance to succeed in life.
So today I want to encourage you to write your life story for the benefit of your family. Now I know that most of you are thinking that you have plenty of time to write your story. You are not planning on dying soon, right? Well, that is probably what the 3,000 people were thinking who went to work at New York’s Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001. Also the people who were crowded at the finish line of the Boston marathon to celebrate the success of the runners. None of the victims of that bombing expected to die that day.
Let’s face the facts. None of us know when our last day on earth will be. Only God knows. So before it’s too late, sit down, pull out your laptop or put your pen to paper and begin to tell your stories and life experiences to those you love.
Richard Campbell has co-authored a book called “Writing your Legacy – The Step-by-Step Guide to Craft your Life Story”. Here are some of the main topics he recommends to include in your life story:
- Forks in the road of your life – Turning points in your childhood years. Events that took you in unexpected directions.
- Impressions of family – What is was like to grow up in this family. Family members that had a major impact on your life.
- Self-Image and Well-being – How has your emotional and physical health affected your life? Did you struggle with health issues and/or body image?
- Life Goals – What have been your main life achievements so far? Have any of your childhood hopes and dreams been fulfilled?
- Life Lessons – What values have you lived by and how have they guided you through life?
One last item I would suggest you include in your life story:
- Spiritual Legacy – Describe your relationship with God and how your faith influenced your life.
I encourage you today to carve out some time in your busy schedule to create one of the most treasured gifts you can give your family, your story.
“What the next generation will value most is not what we owned, but the evidence of who we were and the tales of how we loved. In the end it’s the family stories that are worth the storage”
-Ellen Goodman
