15 Reasons to Write Your Family History

by Lillie Ammann
Freelance writer who has helped family members and clients write their family histories and memoirs

Many people think their life is too ordinary to write about. But everyone can find several good reasons among the 15 listed below (in no particular order) to write a family history or a personal memoir.

1. To honor your ancestors. Your parents, grandparents, and generations before them probably went through many hardships that made your life easier, or even possible.

2. To preserve cherished family traditions. As families move apart, children and grandchildren forget the meanings of traditions, or even the traditions themselves.

3. To heal old wounds. Writing about hurts of the past can be a catharsis to allow you to forgive others - or yourself - for hurts and wrongs.

4. To introduce future generations to the people you love. Your family (your ancestors or the current generation) will be more than names and dates in genealogical records if you tell the stories of real people.

5. To remember the happy times of your life. When you write about joyous occasions, you will experience the joy all over again.

6. To share your values and beliefs. Children and grandchildren may understand your beliefs and values better by reading how you formed your values and how you lived them.

7. To hear family stories you’ve never known. When you interview other family members, you’ll learn things about your family you hadn’t heard before.

8. To develop closer relationships with other family members. Researching your family history with your siblings, parents, or children can bring you all closer together.

9. To appreciate the challenges in your life. In reviewing your life, you can see how you were shaped by the difficulties you faced and your responses to those difficulties.

10. To help your family members avoid the mistakes you made. Telling your children their behavior can lead to problems is far less powerful than showing them what happened to you as a result of your bad decisions.

11. To demonstrate the results of your good choices. If your descendants think you achieved your success because of luck, your life story will show them the choices you made and the actions you took to accomplish what you did.

12. To recall people who are no longer in your life. Long-dead loved ones will come alive in your memory as you bring them to life for your readers.

13. To give purpose and meaning to your life or the life of an elderly relative. Compiling a family story can provide meaningful activity for someone who may have thought their useful days were over.

14. To develop new skills and enhance skills you already have. You can improve your writing skills, learn about genealogy and history ... maybe make new discoveries about yourself.

15. To enrich the lives of your family and your descendants. You are unique with a voice like no other, and when you are gone, your family can take comfort in reading your words ... and remembering you.

Do any of these reasons hit home with you? You can learn how to create a family history to pass your precious memories on to future generations in Preserving Memories: How to Write a Family History.

Maybe you don't want to write your family history, but you still want preserve precious memories. Then do it in pictures. Create a Memory Photo Book