MEMORIES FROM A MARRIAGE

For most of us, memories fade away in a generation or two. I certainly don’t know much, if anything, about my great-grandparents. Though I think I know my own parents well, I know now, as a parent myself, that there are many things I don’t know about them at all. They have stories worth telling and remembering, and capturing family lore on paper is a great way to ground future generations and keep them connected to those who came before them.

Recently, I wrote 5 biographical vignettes for a family that was trying to capture some memories before they faded away. After reviewing recordings of Zoom interviews between a daughter and her elderly parents, I gained an understanding of this couple’s connection, life approach, and sense of humor. The ever-bright twinkle in their eyes as they retold stories from more than 50 years ago inspired me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about them and all they had experienced.

I wrote about courtship, relocations, kids, military service. I wrote about them together and about each of them as individuals. As I wrote, I realized there were some historical allusions that were glossed over during the interviews, but which would be foreign to future readers. I did research to flesh these things out, ensuring that the vignettes were firmly seated in their times and places.

It was nothing short of an honor to help this family write down their history—what they did and who they are—so that the facts of their lives don’t simply evaporate into dust. This was easily the most fun and satisfying work I’ve done in a long time.

If you’re interested in working on your biography with me—or your parents’—get in touch, and we can hatch a plan.