What Is Personal History?
What is Personal History?
Family legend has it that my grandaddy bought his farm on a promise and a handshake. Sometime in the 1940’s he and his brother were sitting on the front porch of a house that was being auctioned along with the farm on which it sat. Grandaddy needed a farm because the one he owned would soon be at the bottom of a man-made lake that was under construction. His brother commented, “If I had my place sold, I’d buy this one.” My grandaddy stuck his hand out to his brother and said, “Then you better buy it, ‘cause I just bought yours.” They shook hands and the deal was done.
This is just one of the many family stories I loved as a kid. I love to tell them to my kids even more. Word-of-Mouth is one thing… Writing down these stories keeps them alive for future generations.
When people hear the term Personal History they often have the vision of genealogical charts and crinkled photos of unsmiling ancestors. Those things are most certainly a part of one’s personal history.
But when I think about personal history, I want to capture family stories. Those stories that are told time after time, passed down from generation to generation by word-of-mouth…until they’re not.
I want to help preserve those stories from your grandparent’s or parent’s childhood. Stories from your childhood. Stories of your children and grandchildren. Stories of family events, love stories, birth stories… I want to help capture YOUR personal history. I want to help capture your stories, in writing, before they are lost.
There are different ways to capture your personal history.
Sarah chose to honor her grandfather’s memory with a gift to her parents and brothers. She asked for a one-page writing that could be framed. She wanted to incorporate pictures of her grandpa’s items she remembered from her childhood. She wanted the written piece to bring together her favorite memories of her grandpa. So I wrote Grandpa’s Heavenly Joy for Sarah and her family.
Others want to tell me their family stories so I can write the story preserving it for future generations. Like, Mickie, the Maple and Mischief
One of my favorite stories from my own childhood – and I was there for this – The Watermelon.
I will work with you to preserve your personal history. To capture those family stories you want to make sure to remember. Those stories you want to save for future generations.
Contact Kelly for a phone appointment today!
kelly@kellywriting.com
