One of the things I treasure from my parent’s generation was their foresight to save many written stories of their lives. Sometimes it was an envelope of letters from a loved one overseas, or stories they wrote for historical societies documenting life “back in the day” like my Grandfather did.
Sometimes, they specifically wrote “Autobiographies” with photographs, assembled in their later years. My mother had even saved a handwritten autobiography she wrote in high school (around 1926) that shared her life up to age 12 or so.
As I get older, I feel like I’ve let the next generation down. Somehow, I was never able to document my life adventures as it happened with daily journals. I did discover I had saved about 12 years of Christmas letters I had written over the years. What a treasure! And this week, while sorting through photographs and computer files, I found my first attempt at my own autobiography. In 2013, I had written several letters to my grandchildren which summarized my early life. I needed the focus of who was going to read the letters and since my grandchildren were just learning to read, I thought about them as I wrote.
I started with an assortment of photographs, hoping to show how as the youngest, I was joining a “family” that already had had many experiences. For a long time that was confusing to me. My sister would say, “Don’t you remember when…?” and it turned out it was before I was born!
I’d like to share that first letter I wrote to my grandchildren. It might encourage you to write your own letters!
April 17, 2013
Dear Aislinn, Annika, Ben and Anna,
My life story started when I was born in 1946 in New Jersey. Since I don’t remember those early years, thank goodness I have a few pictures of me when I was very small. I was born into a family that had been around for quite a few years already. My parents had been married for 11 years and had two children. They had already lived in Minnesota and New Jersey and apparently (from the picture) had a cat!
Before I was a year old, we moved to State College, Pennsylvania. I don’t remember anything my family did before I was born. I had seen pictures of my sister and brother with grandparents, uncles and aunts that I had never met.
Here is a picture of my sister and brother with our Grandma Cora Bixby. She was my Father’s Mother. This Grandmother died before I was born.
All this is to remind you that your family had adventures long before you born. Have them tell you stories about some of those adventures! It took me a long time to realize that I had joined the family somewhere in the middle of the story.
Here are some other pictures that show my sister feeding me and my brother playing with me on my new tricycle. Even today…both of us over 65 years old…my sister sometimes calls me her “baby sister.” That used to make me so mad because I’m all grown up now. She remembers me as a tiny baby and thought I was cute. So, I guess that’s OK.
So…do you remember any early events in your life? Sometimes you can remember a feeling but sometimes you only remember seeing the picture. Don’t feel bad if you don’t remember things like your parents do. As them what they remember from being a baby. And then ask your Grandma or Grandpa to tell you a story about that time and see if your Mom or Dad remembers that story.
Sometimes all they remember is seeing the picture and hearing the story! Your parents were born in the middle of a story too!
Here is a picture of Ted and Kathy playing with a laundry basket. Kathy was 1 year old and Ted was 2 1/2. Ask them if they remember doing this, or if they just remember seeing the picture.
Never forget, your life story started when you were born. You might not remember the first few years, but pictures can reassure you that you were part of the family from the beginning!
Love, Grandma K.
So, don’t worry if you haven’t kept a daily journal! You can begin documenting your life story now. Start with some pictures and create a story around them. Your children and grandchildren will treasure them forever!
Please leave a comment or send me an email directly at marykisner@comcast.net.
I’d love to hear about your “story.”