Preserve Mom's Stories For Mother's Day
Nan Barnes
Think about celebrating Mother’s Day in a different way this year. Carve some time out of the day to begin create a record of your mother’s stories. The Story Corps, which has crisscrossed the country collecting people's stories, was right on target when they decided to title their first collection of stories Listening is an Act of Love. What better time could there be to listen to the stories your mother has to tell.
Mother’s are so often the guardians of the family’s heritage gathering strands of family lore and collections of photos, documents and other artifacts. She has also accumulated a wealth of insight and wisdom in the course of raising her own family. Helping her to preserve those traditions, values and experiences to pass on to her grand children or great grand children is the most affirming gift you can give.
You can make the process as simple as a conversation with a handheld audio recorder or a video camera. Or you can use those as the raw materials for a memoir or family history book that will combine your mother’s stories with family photos, documents and other memorabilia.
Sitting down with Mom to preserve family stories is something many of us think of, but plan to do sometime in the future. Actor Robert DeNiro’s experience is all too typical. He said, "When a parent dies, it's the end. I always wanted to chronicle the family history. But I wasn't forceful, and I didn't make it happen. That's one regret I have. I didn't get as much of the family history as I could for the kids."
Make this Mother’s Day the day you begin to help your mother preserve her stories.
Mother’s are so often the guardians of the family’s heritage gathering strands of family lore and collections of photos, documents and other artifacts. She has also accumulated a wealth of insight and wisdom in the course of raising her own family. Helping her to preserve those traditions, values and experiences to pass on to her grand children or great grand children is the most affirming gift you can give.
You can make the process as simple as a conversation with a handheld audio recorder or a video camera. Or you can use those as the raw materials for a memoir or family history book that will combine your mother’s stories with family photos, documents and other memorabilia.
Sitting down with Mom to preserve family stories is something many of us think of, but plan to do sometime in the future. Actor Robert DeNiro’s experience is all too typical. He said, "When a parent dies, it's the end. I always wanted to chronicle the family history. But I wasn't forceful, and I didn't make it happen. That's one regret I have. I didn't get as much of the family history as I could for the kids."
Make this Mother’s Day the day you begin to help your mother preserve her stories.