Published on April 15, 2022

Collecting family memories of your life today and of the past as well, can be a challenge. You know that as time passes, recalling details will become more difficult. Starting this process and being the keeper of family memories really can’t happen too soon!

Six reasons you should be the memory keeper.

Why should you be the memory keeper? Memory keeping could be the job of anyone in the family.

Collecting family memories of your life today and of the past as well, can be a challenge. You know that as time passes, recalling details will become more difficult. Starting this process really can’t happen too soon!

Types of memories

1. Preserve your family memories by collecting memories from your past, from older relatives, parents, and grandparents.

Sorting photos, talking to family, checking out sources such as Ancestry or Family Search, and other research activities will be required. This type of memory gathering and keeping can be very rewarding, but time-consuming and sometimes difficult.

How much do you know about your family’s history? Who will preserve their stories and history when they are gone? 

Eventually, your parents or grandparents won’t be around to tell it themselves. It’s up to you to carry on or your family’s history will forever be lost. Preserve the past and its family memories.

2. Find a way to preserve those memories that you’re making in your life now, each day. There is no doubt that preserving those memories as you go will be worth the effort many years from now.

Today we have the means to record even the little moments. Technology allows this. Take the time to move them to a backup system, print photos, write a journal or make notes about what is happening.

You’re doing all sorts of things today. Who will remember this in the future? When your kids are grown, think how fun it will be to look back on these days. They will be able to remember their childhood and share it with their own families. 

Preserve the family memories you’re making today.

Here are six reasons for recording family memories:

1. Your own memory fades.

You think you’ll remember when your sweet little boy’s first tooth came in or when he took his first steps. Believe me, you won’t remember. And neither will he. 

But just think how fun it would be to show him pictures of himself when he’s older and tell him the stories about his young childhood.

Memories fade over time, details become distorted, and the things you think you remember may or may not have really happened. 

Being a memory keeper preserves those precious times you might otherwise forget. 

Be the memory keeper who helps reinforce family memories with photos and words.

2. See how far you’ve come.

By keeping your memories today, you will be able to look back one day and see how far you’ve come. 

You will be able to reminisce about the past and review the changes that have happened over the years. 

Relive proud moments, happiness and special times.

Memory keeping enables you to forever capture a moment, allowing you to see the progression of your life. 

Be the memory keeper who makes it possible to share these family memories.

3. Time for reflection.

Writing about your life today creates a journal or guide to the person you are at this moment. 

Years from now, you will be able to look back and know what you were thinking, the type of person you were and reflect on who you’ve become since.

You may learn things about yourself that you didn’t even realize at the time. 

Lessons you’ve learned, moments your were courageous, and reasons you may have succeeded or failed can all become more apparent when looking back at your past.

Take time to write about your life through a journal or just by making captions for your photos. 

Be the memory keeper by creating a way to reflect on your life in the future.

4. Family memories recorded for your children and grandchildren.

Keeping a record, taking photos, and telling stories help to preserve part of the identity, the legacy, the impact of your life, and the lives of your family members. 

Memories give comfort, warmth, and a feeling of belonging.

Having something concrete to remind your children and grandchildren about the places they’ve been, the laughter they’ve shared, and the time spent together is invaluable. 

Be the memory keeper who takes time to make a record for the children and grandchildren.

5. Remember the mundane, everyday moments.

Most people will remember their prom, graduation, wedding, or other major events in their lives. 

However, it’s the little things that we are most apt to forget. Things like swinging on the swingset in the backyard, swimming in the lake, the first day your daughter drove the car, or when the brownies you made were burned to a crisp. 

Or even when your son emptied the Kleenex box tissue by tissue or dumped the baby powder all over the house. (yes, that happened)

These little, seemingly insignificant things can be recorded and held in our memories. Looking back on simpler times, the funny days, happy moments or kind gestures can happen if you take time to be the keeper of family memories.

6. Healthy adjustment and well-being.

The Journal of Family Life, created and produced by the Emory Center for Myth and Ritual in American Life (MARIAL) is interdisciplinary and peer-reviewed. The journal is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.   

According to their study “children who know stories about relatives who came before them show higher levels of emotional well-being, according to Emory University researchers who analyzed dinnertime conversations and other measures of how well families work.” 

Original Article: 6 Important Reasons Recording Family Memories is Valuable