Preserving Memories: Modern Ways to Record, Share, and Cherish Their Stories

Did you know that there are powerful benefits of sharing family stories? Such as, improving language and literacy skills, preserving cultural traditions, and increasing self-worth through the trials faced by our ancestors. You can learn more about them here.

Our Journey

When we learned about our grandmother Nana's prognosis, it became a race against time. While we had an idea of how much time we had left, we couldn't be sure how accurate that was. There was so much to do. We needed to clean and make the house more accessible for the elderly. We also had to sort through piles of stored items so Nana could divide her valuables and memorabilia among the family. One of the most important tasks on our list was to record her life. We wanted to capture her pictures, stories, and memories—something to share with close family and friends. As our family grew, we knew we wanted to preserve her legacy and ensure that future generations could learn about the person she was to us. If you'd like to do the same, there are many options available to help you.

Pro Tips from Our Journey

Keepsake Books
There are websites that assist in creating keepsake books that document the life stories of your loved ones. These platforms offer weekly prompts, allowing your loved one to record or write responses to each question, sharing stories and memories that can be preserved in a book. Once completed, the book is printed with these stories and accompanying photos, creating something for everyone to read and enjoy. Some popular options for creating a keepsake book include:

• Remento

• Storyworth

• Storykeeper

• Kindred Tales

• My Life in a Book

We chose this option for Nana and Papaw (our grandfather). We used Storyworth, which allowed us to pick our own prompts and even write our own questions. One day, while Nana was in the hospital, I sat down with just her. I turned on my phone to record and kept pen and paper on hand just in case. We worked through the prompts, and she shared many stories I had never heard before. It was a truly wonderful experience to sit with her and listen as she reminisced about the past. I was able to ask follow-up questions to gather more details, enriching the book even further. We laughed and we cried. It was a heartwarming moment that brought us closer, especially during a time when things were becoming more difficult.

Digital Picture Frames
This was another option my family chose. When Nana was placed in hospice care, it was a difficult and depressing time for all of us. She mostly wanted to sleep and watch television. However, when we gave her a digital picture frame and set it up near her bed, she was able to relive many precious moments—and even experience some she hadn’t been present for. She could share in the joy of those memories, and it truly brightened her days. Both Nana and Papaw loved it and eagerly anticipated the next pictures or videos that would be sent. All of our family members had the app on their phones, which connected to the picture frame. This allowed them to send pictures and videos at any time, and they would be displayed instantly. We chose to use Frameo, but there are several other digital picture frames available, such as:

• Frameo

• Aura

• Nixplay

• Loop

• Familink

Family Tree
Years before we received any news of Nana's cancer, she was already diligently working on our family tree. She spent her time discovering new family members and sharing stories and pictures with them. Using Ancestry, she tracked down relatives and printed out every correspondence, even handwriting our entire family tree for us. Times have changed since then, and now there are many more ways to find family members and record stories and photos. Ancestry can export information to other sites for better archiving, and DNA tests allow us to trace family members even more quickly than before. Here are a few options to consider:

• Ancestry

• Storied

• MyHeritage

With new technology becoming more accessible every day, there are fewer excuses for not preserving our family memories. We hope you find the method that works best for you and your family. Let us know in the comments below which ways you prefer to save and share your stories!