What's your story?

Writing or recording your own story can be rewarding – both for you as the author and for others.

For children and grandchildren in particular, there can be important facts including family medical and genealogical history that are invaluable. Further to that, stories of your adventures and achievements or hardships and challenges – not just what you did, but how you did it – can be well worth passing on. Could your wealth of knowledge, shared with others, enable them to make their own way in the world with more certainty, more resilience, more success?  Or could it simply offer sentimental, heart warming emotions? Telling your story can be cathartic. Your achievements may seem small to you but significant to others. Being a blood donor or a community volunteer may seem simple gestures to you but may inspire others to consider how they too can make a difference in the world. Perhaps family members have been ‘too busy’, absent, or too young to hear and appreciate your experiences.  Although, down the track, those you leave behind can feel regret in wishing they knew more. People often say they ‘don’t know how to write their story’ – or even ‘where to begin.’ There are a number of ways to go about it, including:     •    Make an audio or video recording on your phone, which often helps the story to flow without concern for grammar, spelling or sentence construction.     •     Jot down short anecdotes as one thing often leads to another.     •    Answer a list of questions such as; ‘What was your greatest lesson, your favourite holiday destination, your best day, best friend, favourite music, most rewarding experience’ and so on.     •    Pick out an old, favourite photo and describe what’s captured in it.     •    Pick up a treasured momento and explain why it means so much to you.     •    Ask a family member or friend who is a good typist to be your scribe     •    “U3A online” has a ‘My life story’ course that can help guide you along the path.     So please; share your stories. Discuss them if you can and have meaningful conversations with your family and others about your heritage, or at least document the stories for them to read later. And after all of that prompting – if you still don't feel the urge to tell your story – at least fill out the details of your life that are legally required to be documented. A complimentary copy of the Mornington Peninsula Funerals Pre-planning book can be downloaded from our website or mailed out, upon request.