What kind of detective are you? Do you enjoy research – starting off with one tiny fact and discovering that it leads on to an entire new subject/person? Do you know if another family member has started a family tree that includes you and your family? Why not make a start on your own family […]
There are bios, and there are kick-arse accounts of someone’s life. So, what makes a bum-kicking bio or memoir enjoyable to read? Is it the story-what happened to the subject-born in a concentration camp, survived three global conflicts, and married a prince? Or is it because we need to know about the private life of some […]
A vital element of recording and preserving your family stories is gathering all of your family’s family documents: birth, marriage & death certificates back to at least your maternal and paternal grandparents and forward to your grandchildren. Have you worked out a system for storing and saving these invaluable paper documents? Initially a simple drop […]
A friend in Canada emailed me recently, where he lamented his mother’s recent unexpected death. He, like I, works as a personal historian – a professional who interviews living people about their life stories and preserves them for the future as a family legacy. His sorrow was compounded by the fact that he hadn’t taken time […]
“What are all these bags doing in the hallway?” Defensively I reply, “They’re all my decluttering bags ready to go to the clothing/charity bins at the station.” After years of resistance, I had finally been through my wardrobes and drawers and had a lot to shed. The bags had been lined up at the front […]
Singer/songwriter extraordinaire John Lennon summed up Valentine’s Day, celebrated worldwide on 14th February, with the lyrics of his 1967 song which was written to appeal to people worldwide. This year, instead of spending money on drooping red roses or tired chocolates, why not write an intimate and private love letter to your beloved? Try the following […]
The more people I’ve written for, the more obvious it’s to me that writing or talking about oneself is enormously therapeutic. “Well, yes (insert eye roll here), that’s a well-worn fact – everyone knows it.” And I agree. Therapeutic writing has been around since … hmm … well, since diaries and journals first began, around […]
Stuck for a meaningful present to give to a cherished family member, or to give to yourself this year? Christmas sometimes dumps us between a rock and the proverbial and sadly the joy of giving can become one of the most stressful times of the year. We can easily buy another superfluous present that may […]
The newly formed association, Life Stories Australia’s, recent launch has had an immediate and telling impact. Already, great interest has been shown from people from all walks of life, particularly in their twilight years, who know they have something priceless to hand down to future generations. This is not surprising given the latest figures from […]
Hell and family history have something in common. It seems the road to both is paved with good intentions and, while I cannot speak for the former, when it comes to saving family stories, scarcely a day passes when someone tells me that they “really must do something about it,” yet they never do… These are […]
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