Dear Editor:

I always wanted to capture the stories told to me by my parents and grandparents. Unfortunately, time and distance and visits that never seemed long enough prevented me from writing them down when I had he opportunity.

As a teenager, I was probably embarrassed to ask to record some conversation and hoped I might remember to write things in my journal later … I never did.

As a young adult busy with my career and friends, I still loved the visits home but I lived away, out of town, and again, never took the time to record the blessings of my history.

Still, at my midlife age, I have yet to write the stories and now must relate from memory the gifts I could have recorded in much greater detail with more significance had I done so when I was younger.

My grandparents are all gone. My mother died in 1999 and her father, my only living grandfather outlived my mom and died in 2001 at age 96. My father lives in Virginia, is remarried and we have little or no time alone together to chat … to record … what may become a lost story. My mom was the family historian.

Thankfully, my brother has done some family geneolgy work with my cousin on my father’s side. But, unless I write something soon, my mother’s family’s memories and my heritage will be a lost blessing. My mom was an only child to her parents.

Take the time and the initiative now; even if it seems embarrassing to ask. It will be precious time well spent and the blessing will last forever as you pass it on.

Thank you for this wonderful story! It blessed my heart today and reminded me NOT to wait any longer to record some of my own stories for my family!

The author responded to the article, Preserve family stories.