Creating a personal history can be deeply satisfying and profoundly meaningful for you and your family.

Here are some of the many benefits to undertaking a personal history project:

• Sharing your personal memories and values builds a bond between generations that is more precious than material goods.
• Telling your life story is a way to portray yourself exactly as you wish to be remembered.
• People often lament not taking the time to gather their parents’ memories and stories. If you preserve these treasures now, you will never regret it.
• Your wisdom and beliefs are as individual as you are. By sharing your life lessons and your personal values, you inspire others and pass on a truly unique legacy to the next generation.
• When you share your memories, you have a rare opportunity to reflect on the people and events that shaped your life.
• Recording a personal history is life-affirming and can lead to feelings of peace and contentment. It is an opportunity to share feelings of love or forgiveness with the significant people in your life.
• Looking back on your life may offer insights and discoveries about the choices you made and provide a new perspective on your past.
• Children benefit from learning about the struggles and accomplishments of their parents and grandparents. Tales of love, loss and perseverance are universal, and give young people a deeper sense of identity.
• Learning about the past from an older relative paints a portrait of an earlier time that is more vivid than any history book.