Securing a legacy
Making more than just a storybook
Digital storybooking is so much more than just a hobby. It is a truly magical thing that can touch people’s hearts. Since becoming a Heritage Maker, I have made a few very meaningful books—the kind that my family will always cherish. So I decided it was time to take on the project that was closest to my heart: my mom’s life story.
My mom passed away when I was 11 years-old. Now a mother myself, I wanted to make a book about her so that my children would have a sense of the grandma they would never meet, the person that their mom called "Mom." So I asked my dad if he would be willing to help with my project. Of course, he was right there for me as he always has been. We sat down together, and as he talked I typed a rough draft. We also spent some time digging through old boxes of memorabilia and flipping through numerous photo albums. What a wonderful learning experience for me. I learned so much about my mom. I had no idea how little I really knew about her.
My dad also had a wooden box that belonged to my gramma (my mom’s mom). It was filled with beautiful old photos dating back to the 1920’s. I was saddened by the fact that there is no one left
who can tell me who the people in those pictures are or what the stories behind the pictures are. This reaffirmed how very important my project was.
I set to work creating the book on my Heritage Makers website complete with over 100 photos. It was a big project but well worth the time and effort. What began as a desire to preserve my mom’s memory became so much more. It became a wonderful emotional journey for me. I no longer see my mom only in the way that a child sees a mother. I now see her for the truly wonderful woman that she was. I feel like I have been given the best gift ever. Had it not been for Heritage Makers, I would never have asked my dad those questions. I would have never known my mom’s history.
I believe that every person should make at least one life-story book. Take the time to examine the life of a passed love one. Or sit down with a parent or grandparent. I’m sure they would love to tell you about their life. Ask those tough and sensitive questions and put all of the answers in print. One of my clients is currently working on her own life story, and I keep thinking how lucky her children are. What a beautiful treasure she will be giving them, and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
I’ve had people say to me, "My life isn’t exciting, why would I want to make a book about it?" This is simply not true. Your life story is very important to others. Who you are, where you come from, and the choices you’ve made—no matter how ordinary they may seem—have shaped many people’s lives.
Imagine if people 100 years ago had been able to create digital storybooks like we can. Wouldn’t you love and treasure a book about your great-great grandparents? Wouldn’t you like to know what life was like for them–their obstacles and triumphs?
I can hardly wait to sit down with my girls and read them my mom’s story. Years from now they can read it to their kids, and grand-kids, and so on. My mom’s story will not fade. And the best part of all…I know that she would be very proud.
—Jami Rathwell
No comments:
Post a Comment