Telling your story can be a magical gift for your loved ones. I’ll never forget the day I stumbled across an old cassette player with a tape still inside. Turning on the outdated device, I was thrilled to hear my father’s voice. Dad had been gone for seven years by this time; the cassette, which had been recorded by my daughter more than a decade earlier for a school project, was a recording of Dad telling the story of how he met and and fell in love with my mother.
What a treasure! I had forgotten about the long-ago school project and the left-behind tape. Now, years after my parents’ deaths, I have a recording of Dad’s voice, recounting their love story.
I’m grateful to have it. And just a bit regretful that I didn’t do more, while they were still alive, to record details of their history that now I would give anything to know.
Our life stories are truly a treasure. They remind us of how we came to be, who we are, and where we are going. And these precious stories can easily be lost if we don’t take the time to record them for those who come after us.
Think about it — what would you give to hear your great-grandmother telling about life in turn-of-the century America? Or your great-great-grandfather describing how he crossed the Great Plains in a covered wagon? We may not have these stories, but we can pass our own stories on to our children — who can’t even imagine such things as dial telephones, record players, and transistor radios.
While we’re at it, we can take steps to record the stories of our parents and grandparents, while we still can. It’s important to do this before it’s too late and the stories are lost forever.
To make it easier for you, Shepherd’s Staff In-home Care is pleased to offer Legacy Stories, a program for recording the precious memories of the past. Once you register for the program, you’ll be able to download the Legacy Stories app to your smartphone or tables and then begin “Reminiscing with Purpose!” The app allows you to upload photographs and documents and to record a loved one’s voice telling a story. In just a few minutes you will be able to save a treasured memory and share it with others.
Try it out! And let us know what it means to you.