My own memories and experiences are interwoven with the stories told to me...added to the many stories I discovered when doing my genealogy.
History and the tradition of storytelling among all cultures links us to the past, and the stories we hand down to our grandchildren links us to the future. What stories will you tell?
For me, accuracy is important. In genealogy, I verify the facts with documentation & cross-referencing. For those who do not have the advantage of obtaining the records, you might at least connect to your ancestry through DNA testing. That way, you can find matches who may have that information - family trees which lead back to you.
My grandfather, on the other hand, told tall tales. He embellished his stories to make them more interesting to listeners. We would enjoy his descriptions of his country boyhood in Denver City, Texas - a place that he was eager to leave, once he reached adulthood. Once he met my grandma - a San Francisco native, a city girl - he never looked back...except in his stories.
Grandpa also told us that we had a great-grandmother who was a Cherokee Indian princess. We believed this, and I only recently discovered through DNA that I have not a trace of Native American in my blood. Maybe Grandpa was told that story by his folks, and believed it. DNA has changed the stories!
Mostly, I don't want my loved ones to be forgotten, that their lives mattered. I have lost two siblings, and I want some of their stories to continue - even if they are through my own recollections. I would hope that others might do the same for me.
Mostly, I don't want my loved ones to be forgotten, that their lives mattered. I have lost two siblings, and I want some of their stories to continue - even if they are through my own recollections. I would hope that others might do the same for me.
