Family ties

Check out the TV schedule in any area and you will find biography-type shows listed on many channels. A&E may have started this trend with its “Biography,” but many other networks are now following their lead.

It is easy to become hooked while watching these shows. A person you never particularly cared about suddenly becomes quite interesting. You start to feel a real connection when you see how turns and detours change the direction of someone’s life. We can all relate to this learning process.

You don’t need to be a movie star, musician or politician to have a fascinating life story. Let your family be your audience. The choices you’ve made and events you’ve lived through can be a great learning tool to those younger than you. Children and/or grandchildren love to hear what life was like when you were “their age.” They are truly interested in the things you went through and how you got through them. They start to see you in a different light (not just mom/dad grandpa/grandma).

There are as many ways to go about telling your life story as there are life stories. You can do it in a book format, on cd or tape, note cards or online. You can include photographs, souvenirs, memorabilia and journals. Do it in a way that is as individual as you are. Let your imagination be your guide.