Writing your Stories
One simple way to remember is to write your memories of your loved one using things around you, lists of questions, or even Internet sites to help you trigger the memories that may seem hidden. There are many things you can use to help trigger your memories.
- Start simple – Pull out a blank piece of paper. Ask yourself a few simple questions about your loved one, write down the answers, and you’ll have a good start. As you write, you’ll remember more stories about (take notes!) that you can write about later.
- When and how did you first meet?
- What about her made you laugh?
- If you could only tell her children or grandchildren one thing about her, what would it be?
- What was her favorite thing to do?
- More memory prompts – Visit the following sites on the Internet and read through some of the questions listed. How would your loved one answer?
- Biography Assistant – Includes questions tailored to writing about a deceased loved one.
- Guide for Interviewing Family Members
- 175 Memory Prompts
- Memorabilia & Treasures – Go through a few of her things if you have easy access to them – school or office papers, perfume and lotions, collectibles, etc.; think of things that represent the five senses. Think about how these “things” affected her life – how she felt about her job or school, what kinds of things she collected, and what they meant about her. Then write about the memories they bring to mind.
- Write letters to your loved one about things you would talk to them about if they were here. This becomes a sort of journal for you, but it is one way of recording the type of relationship you had, and you’ll undoubtedly write about many of your memories together. Read Writing Through Grief, one woman’s account of writing letters to her sister after her death.
Related Books & Tools:
365: A Year of Journal Prompts (Volume 1)
“Instead of a blank journal that most people use, David picks very thought provoking questions for each day of the year and it will bring people to write about very happy, exciting, funny, interesting, difficult, challenging, and sad events and thoughts.”
Personal Historian Software
Write your stories or the stories of a loved one:
* Capture thoughts and memories as they come to you and organize them later.
* Included are timelines, historical events, and questions get your creative juices flowing.
* Add your existing word processor documents and photographs.
* Interactive timeline gives you a visual overview of the person’s life.
(At times you may find this software on sale directly from RootsMagic.)
See Also: Memory Books in Print
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A FlipPal is the easy way to scan in old photographs so you can create your memory books or other memorials. See A Story Jar - another great idea for remembering.