We all have stories to tell: about our childhoods, our parents, siblings, homes, loves, travels, beliefs, sorrows and joys — the list could continue on. Everyone has a rich history, but how do you keep these special stories alive, to remember and pass along to future generations?
Recording your loved one’s stories is a powerful way to preserve your family’s history. These stories not only create lasting memories but also offer valuable insights into the person’s life and experiences that eventually shaped your family. Future generations can look back at recorded stories and get to know your loved one long after they’ve passed. In this way, family legacies live on and continue to impact your family’s future.
Choosing the Right Medium
Whether you’re recording your parent’s or grandparent’s stories, another loved one’s or your own, finding the right medium to record and house precious stories and memories is a great first step. You can invite your children or those close to your loved ones to join you in listening to and recording stories. Choose a recording medium that works for you and your loved one to make the process feasible and enjoyable for all.
Video Recording Tools
The best way to video record your loved one’s stories is likely right in the palm of your hand. A smartphone is a great tool for recording videos. Storing, organizing and sharing your loved one’s stories can create a challenge, but online paid platforms like Stories of a Lifetime can help you ask questions and weave your loved one’s recordings into a video montage, whether you live near or far from your loved one.
Pros
- With a video, you can have a memory of your loved one’s voice as well as their mannerisms, gestures and expressions.
- Video is a great way to record your loved one if they communicate primarily or exclusively with sign language.
- Video allows you and future generations to remember a whole view of your loved one, verbally and non-verbally.
Cons
- Some people may not be comfortable in front of a camera, and a video format might be intimidating.
If this is the case, giving your loved one a list of your questions before you record so they can think about or write their answers and read them aloud is a great way to lower the pressure of being recorded.
If your loved one isn’t comfortable being recorded, you may opt for audio recording or a written record of their stories instead.
Audio Recording Tools
This medium is a great way to record your loved one’s stories, even if you aren’t in the same room. You can use a paid tool like Storii to send your loved one questions by phone, and they can easily send their stories back to you. Once you have a handful of stories, this tool compiles them into an audiobook or transcribed PDF format that you can share with other loved ones. You can also find free audio recording tools — online or an app on your smartphone.
Pros
- This personal medium allows you to hear your loved one’s voice as they share their memories.
- Since audio recordings are digital, you can save them anywhere online or on your computer or smartphone. You can also download a copy of the recordings to an external hard drive, if saving them in multiple places feels best.
Cons
- If you opt for a free audio recording tool and have numerous individual recordings, it may be tricky to organize them in an easily accessible way.
- If you have one long recording with many stories, it may also take extra time to edit and organize your loved one’s stories into a streamlined format. However, whether or not you decide to organize the recordings, simply having them in your loved one’s voice is a precious gift.
Hand-Writing Tools
If you opt for writing your loved one’s stories by hand, use acid-free archival paper and an archival pen, so the writing can be read for decades to come. If you wish to extend the life of the writing, store your finished writing in an airtight or archival container in a dry place at room temperature. You can find these supplies at your local craft store or online. You can also use an online paid tool like Storyworth, where your loved one receives questions and emails their answers over one year. Storyworth compiles everything into a book at the end of the year.
Pros
- This option adds a special level of personalization, where you or your loved one’s handwriting can be preserved for decades.
- You can jot down memories in an archival notebook or a scrapbook with photos and handwritten notes. Make sure to use archival tape to attach photos to the page.
Cons
- Hand-writing your loved one’s stories is a vulnerable medium, since you will likely have only one copy that may eventually start to fade and deteriorate.
If you opt for this medium, you could also take digital photos of each page so you have a second, digital copy in case something happens to the physical copy.
Prepare for Your Conversation
Choosing the Right Time to Record
You likely won’t find a “perfect” time to sit down with your loved one and record their stories. However, it can be helpful to record a little at a time. Each time you visit your loved one, you could ask one question or record one or two stories. If you’re able to record gradually, the process may seem less daunting. If you’re hoping to record many stories at once, remember to move through your questions at a comfortable pace for you and your loved one. Since it’s impossible to record every aspect of their life, the stories you do record are precious memories. Every story your loved one shares is an honor and a peek into their life.
Choosing the Right Environment to Record
The right environment may simply be wherever you see your loved one next — maybe a holiday celebration when family is gathered or a visit on a weekday when it’s just the two of you. You might find it best to ask your loved one about their life when they are at home or in a familiar location — familiar places might jog their memory. Just make sure you’re both comfortable and that your loved one is okay with you recording their stories.
Conversation Starters
We wrote a handful of questions to get you started, but feel free to add your own. This is a special time for you and your loved one — to hear details about their life and learn new things about them.
Questions About Their Childhood
- What is your first memory?
- What was a highlight from your childhood?
- What did you and your siblings or friends like to do growing up?
- What phrases or idioms did your parents, grandparents or caregivers often say?
- What did you appreciate about growing up in [insert location]?
- What was difficult about growing up in [insert location]?
Questions About Their Adulthood
- What was a highlight from college/university/post-high school?
- (If married or partnered) What was a highlight from your wedding celebration?
- What was it like to live through [insert historical event]?
- What traditions do you value?
- Who were some special people throughout your life and how did you meet them?
Questions About Their Personality
- What are you passionate about?
- How have your passions changed throughout your life?
- How would you describe yourself?
- What advice would you give to your younger self?
- What are you looking forward to in life?
- How would you like to be remembered?
Whether you decide to use a combination of recording mediums or just one, you’ll have precious moments with your loved one to last you a lifetime and memories to carry forward to future generations. Helping your loved one leave their legacy through countless stories from their life is a wonderful way to honor them in the present and future. How have you recorded your loved one’s stories? Let us know in the comments!
