Tag Archives: personal history

CREATING A LEGACY BIO part 10

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When we think about our family history, there are always a few nut cases to discuss. If you can’t determine the nut case in yours, well…

Someone once said that every family is dysfunctional. I don’t know about that, but I do know that every family is full of stories, characters and events; some for sharing in public and others for hiding in a journal. Time now to put on your creative hat and whip up a little eccentricity.

family-funnies-1Are there any well known family stories that you can include in your Legacy Bio? Are there stories about danger, intrigue, immigration, hardship, adventure? Are there any famous people in your family – famous or infamous? Give us the newspaper version – who, what, where, when and why.

What’s in the family closet? Everyone has a story or two lurking in the dark that is rarely talked about, kind of like the elephant in the room – what’s yours?

Who is the most eccentric member of your family? Describe their eccentricities and assume they will never read this.

Do you own any strange habits that other family members might describe as eccentric, weird, a bit off the wall, or otherwise nutty?

Is this something you would want to change or are you proud of your individuality?

What family members played a significant role in your life and how? Specifically, are there any cousins, aunts or uncles who fit this description.

Who were your favorites?

What was it about them that made them a favorite?

If you had the chance to act as a mentor to one of your younger relatives, who would that be and what would you do, say or model to guide and help them?

Add a note – a detail or two – about each of your siblings and cousins (something about their appearance, smarts, wit, talent – what is the one word that captures their essence).

Do you know what these same people would have said about you as a child?

Would those thoughts be any different now that you  are an adult?

When you consider your siblings and cousins – who was the

bravest

best looking

smartest

funniest

best behaved

black sheep

high maintenance

Mom and Dad’s favorite?

How fair or accurate were these descriptions?

How did these descriptions affect their lives and expectations?

MARRIAGE AND CARRIAGE

Did you marry?

more than once?

names and dates?

Describe how you met your spouse(s) and how, where, when you got married.

Describe your honeymoon(s).

Describe your spouse(s).

Did you decide to have children? How did you reach that decision?

List the name and date of birth of each of your children (and date of adoption if applicable).

If you have no children of your own, are there any special children in your life?

What was special about each child’s birth?

Considering each child, what was the biggest challenge in parenting them?

What was your proudest moment for each child?

You can edit later but give it a try and write all the gory details as you work your way through this exercise. You can scratch out what you don’t want posterity to read (that in itself can raise some serious interest in your story) or you might decide to leave it in. After all, after you’re gone – what can they do to you for telling the truth?

If you are getting engaged in writing your Legacy Biography, give some one else the opportunity to do the same by sharing this website.

CREATING A LEGACY BIO part 9

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Your personal story is a living breathing example of nature vs. nurture and it is now time to broaden our outlook a bit to see where you came from. What kind of influence did your extended family exert in making you who you are?

Many people find it interesting and revealing to have a DNA test done to find further evidence of their roots. Ancestry.com is a website that specializes in researching more detail about the history of your family. You may find both of these sources interesting in determining your history.

family-history-1MOTHER’S FAMILY

What were your mother’s parents names?

What did you call them?

Where and when were they born?

What was their national heritage?

What did they do for a living?

Where did they live when your mother was growing up?

What do you know about your mother’s childhood and life at home?

How many siblings did your mother have?

What do you know about them? Names, birth dates, fun facts, careers, marriages, illnesses, etc.?

How well did you know your maternal grandparents?

Did you spend much time with them when you were a child – holidays, summers?

Were they involved in bringing you up?

What are your strongest memories of them?

What else can you add about your mother’s parents that is interesting?

What about other members of her family – like your great grandparents, great aunts and uncles, anyone else?

FATHER’S FAMILY

What were your father’s parents names?

What did you call them?

Where and when were they born?

What was their national heritage?

What did they do for a living?

Where did they live when your father was growing up?

What do you know about your father’s childhood and life at home?

How many siblings did your father have?

What do you know about them – names, birth dates, fun facts, careers, marriages, illnesses, etc.?

How well did you know your paternal grandparents?

Did you spend much time with them as a child – holidays, summers?

Were they involved in bringing you up?

What are your strongest memories of them?

What else can you add about your father’s parents that is interesting?

What about other members of his family like his grandparents, great aunts and uncles – anyone else?

We have a pretty good set of facts outlined about you and your family but let’s face it, there are some great stories that we haven’t touched on yet. In the next few installments, we are going to take a better look at our ancestors and ourselves as we get into the juicy stuff. If creating a journal of your life or a Legacy Bio is becoming an interesting part of the legacy you leave your family, then share the process with others.

CREATING A LEGACY BIO part 8

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Creating a life journal or a Legacy Biography as we have called it, requires some research, quiet thoughtfulness and perhaps a few chuckles and tears mixed in for good measure. When we start to consider our roots, our family, and how we were influenced by them, we begin to reveal how we are who we are. This is a great time to talk with older family members whether they are parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles to pick their brains about stories that are part of your family history. Pictures, scrapbooks, family reunions, old letters, Facebook connections, and boxes forgotten in the basement will all provide sources for exploring the history of you.

family-history-3MY FATHER

What’s his full name?

What is his date of birth?

Where was he born?

Where did he go to school and how far did he go?

What did he do for a living?

Did he have any hobbies, play any sports?

What do you remember him doing for fun?

Did he have any special skills like painting, singing, athletics, cooking, writing, speaking, carpentry, auto mechanics, wine making, gardening?

When you look in the mirror, how are you reminded of him – your eyes, nose, mouth, hair, habits, sayings, walk, attitude?

What was the most important lesson he taught you?

What did you like most about him?

What was the biggest challenge in your relationship with him?

Where is he now?

What special stories have you heard from other family members about your father when he was a young man?

How did aging affect him?

I wish he had…

I wish I had…

MY MOTHER

What’s your mother’s maiden name?

When was she born?

Where was she born?

Where did she go to school and how far did she go?

What kind of work did she do before she married?

Did she have a career after marriage? What was it?

What were her hobbies and special interests?

What did she do for fun?

Did she have any special skill and talents – singing, acting, writing, gardening, dancing, baking, jigsaw puzzles, coaching, sports?

When you look at yourself and your life, what did you inherit from your mother – physically, emotionally and perhaps materially?

What was the most important thing you learned from your mother?

What do you appreciate most about her?

What was the biggest challenge in your relationship with your mother?

Did any of the challenges change as you each grew older?

Where is she now?

What special stories have you heard from other family members about your mother when she was a young woman?

How did aging affect her?

I wish she had…

I wish I had…

MY PARENTS

If you were adopted, what do you know about your birth parents?

What do you know about your parents’ love story – how did they meet, fall in love and get married?

How old were they when they married?

What is the one thing you would change about your parents if you could?

Do you have any siblings – what are their names and dates of birth?

Use one word or phrase to describe each of them as children.

Where do you fit in the order of birth – oldest, youngest, etc?

What words would you use to describe your home life as a child?

I hope you are enjoying this trip down memory lane. It can be challenging to revisit memories of our childhood as it tugs us emotionally but what a wonderful legacy you are creating for people who want to know who you are. If you know someone who should be doing the same thing, please share this series with them.