Preserve Your Family Memories

Donna Nichols • September 14, 2021

We often hear family members say, I sure wish I could hear mom or dad’s voice again, or if only I could hear that story one more time.

Well, you can, next time your parents or grandparents start telling a story, push record or video them on your phone.

This way you will have it forever; you can download it to a computer, or a jump drive and have it for the rest of your life and your children’s lives.

Preserving Family Memories with these resourses

What are some of the stories you will want to record?

If you have something specific you want to know about, be sure to ask them and make sure you record it; don’t depend on your memory!

In case you don’t have anything specific in mind, here are some key topics that may help:

  • Lifelong lessons and anecdotes
  • Treasured stories
  • Funny stories
  • Turning points
  • Joyful times
  • Sad times
  • Family traditions
  • Struggles and challenges
  • Proud moments
  • Things they wish they could change
  • Family history of other children
  • Family history of grandparents

The above are just some of the things that have probably made the largest impressions on your parents and they have made the biggest impact on their lives. You may find you have a lot in common or find things about them you didn’t even know.

If you are downsizing your parents or having to move them to a memory care facility , you may come across some of the following items that you want to hold on to since they play a large part in your family history.

  • Family photos, albums
  • Diaries
  • Mementos
  • Letters
  • Books
  • Family records
  • Photographs
  • VCR tapes/DVDs/CDs
  • Scrapbook, memory books

Once you have the above gathered, consider digitizing everything.

Old photos and letters fade, VCR tapes can be turned into DVDs or CDs and mementos can be stored in a safe place so you can go back to them whenever you’d like.

On Facebook, they have this link where you can view your past year in photos. I have done this several times and think it is a fabulous idea!

It shows everything I have posted for the year and I get to look back at all of the milestones and memories! It then gives you the option to create a photo book and I did this three years in a row.

It was the best thing I ever did; those three years held some of the most precious memories I had and now I can look back on them whenever I choose, not just when Facebook decides to throw them up on my wall.

This is a very inexpensive way to preserve your memories and keep a lasting record of all your accomplishments. The photos are very good quality and the cover of the book is a nice glossy coating. If I remember correctly, I think my books were only around $25.00 and I had approximately thirty pictures in each book.

The next book will be one of my mother and myself; I want those photos forever!

As you can see, there are many ways to preserve family memories; no matter how you choose to preserve yours, please preserve them. That is the important thing, that you preserve your family memories and history.

Your children, their children, their children and their children may want to know all about the history of their family one day and YOU will have preserved it for them to cherish.

If you’re looking for other senior living articles and resources then click here.

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