When we speak with clients about leaving their estate, part of their possession are heirlooms, old photos, keepsakes that bring back memories of events and family members. What happens to these and what can we do to preserve the memories? The next generation is not interested in boxes full of photos that they don’t know. And don’t we have old photos of family members that prompt the question: Who are these people? What was the occasion? And objects that raise curiosity: Why did someone save this? What meaning did it hold? We wish we had asked our parents more questions and listened better to their family stories when we were young.
This newsletter was inspired by an article in National Geographic Magazine in December 2024. The author found a binder containing the writings of his grandfather from the age of 13 that detailed his family’s history. His grandfather was still alive, so this started a conversation between them and being an author, he wrote a book about it. The author had the gift of being able to discuss the story with his grandfather, giving him the ability to ask questions that “brought color and nuance to these histories”.
While you don’t need to write your family history, you can leave a history for your descents preserving the memories of family members and stories. Small efforts can make a big difference, like making notations on photos and mementos; short stories and dates will be appreciated by future generations. These details will also give meaning to keepsakes and artifacts. While it may seem daunting, carving out just a little time each week can have a lasting impact.
Growing up, we had the verbal narrative from our parents, grandparents and relatives around the dinner table or during family gatherings. Why wait for a funeral to pass on the family chronicle?
Tools and Resources
Nowadays, of course, there are a few apps that can help. They all do pretty much the same thing: digital and print photo organizing, archiving, home movie and audio conversion, and scanning printed materials – including photos, negatives, slides, albums, scrapbooks and documents. These services help to preserve a personal history in a structured and lasting way. Here are a few services that others have found useful, in no special order or preference.
Preserving Memories (https://www.preservingmemoriespo.com)
- Weekly guided questions that make it easy for your parent to share memories.
- Voice-to-text feature – perfect for parents who prefer speaking to writing
Storykeeper (https://storykeeper.com)
- Capturers stories of a lifetime and preserves them for eternity. It sends curated questions to friends and family members to build chapters of a shared history.
Storyworth (https://welcome.storyworth.com)
- Preserve your most meaningful moments and memories in a beautiful keepsake book. Or give the experience to a loved one and discover stories you never knew.
Even something as simple as writing down a few stories by hand can become invaluable for preserving your family legacy. This act of understanding and preserving personal history not only benefits future generations — it can also provide the writer with a deeper sense of reflection and closure.
