Storytelling

A gift to remember...

While there are all kinds of ways of telling a story, more and more seniors consider writing an auto-biography – the written account of one's youth, the meeting and marrying of one's mate, the arrival of the children and anecdotes about each, the stories of pets lost, picnics ruined, and parties memorable. Some are written longhand, others typed and photocopied, and still others, printed and bound by professionals. Some take the form of notes, anecdotes and other reminiscences in the margins of the family photo album. No matter in what words or format, such an account will be treasured for generations to come.

You may think you have nothing interesting to recount, or that only "literary types" can pass down their memories. Think again. Letters, videos, interviews, scrapbooks, personal websites, mementos, family treasures bequeathed, taped messages, songs recorded or simply sung... there are countless ways of leaving a legacy that everyone will cherish. Here are some examples:

• Yvette chose to create a booklet of old family recipes. She wrote each one longhand on a sheet of paper, which she illustrated at top with a small sketch. First came the instructions on how to prepare the dish; then, at the bottom of each page, she explained how long the recipe had been in the family and recounted details about whose favourite dish it was and amusing stories of family life (the time Isabelle forgot to put in the eggs; the "mysterious" cookie robber, etc.) The booklet, which was reproduced by simple photocopy, was offered as a gift to each member of her immediate family. Ten years after her passing, this excellent recipe book has been reproduced hundreds of times, and friends and family continue to enjoy the "old time" favourites and the family history behind them.

• Another beloved grandmother wrote a very special four-page story as a gift to each grandchild when he or she turned 10. She felt that by that age, she knew well what person her grandchild was. "Once upon a time..." she wrote, and proceeded to tell a story in which she traced the portrait of a competent, caring, strong and beloved hero or heroine that matched the temperament and strengths she saw in her grandchild. In that family, the children couldn't wait to turn 10 and get "their" story from grandma! Most of these gifts were framed – a source of pride, inspiration and self-awareness for an entire lifetime.

• Yet another novel legacy project was the recording of lullabies by the "aunties", a group of women friends (and their daughters) who have met regularly for 30 years. When Melanie, the first daughter of the group to have a child, worried that she hardly knew any lullabies to sing to her new daughter Regan, the whole group practiced for a month and jointly or separately (some now live far away) recorded the songs they had sung to their own children. Melanie's repertoire is now vastly improved and Regan has a CD of her very own that attests to the love of really "grand" aunties who have taken the trouble to pass down precious pieces of their past.

If you have a hard time getting started, consider audio/video taping yourself in conversation with someone else about the past. Not only is this an excellent way to get closer to a grandchild, relative or friend, but answering another person's questions sometimes helps direct your thoughts and memories. And you could always transcribe the recording later.