Write Your Story

My 84 year old mother has written her life story, an endeavor that’s taken years and will continue through the editing phase! I am fortunate to be the one typing it–to present it back to her for the editing phase:)

The idea of her writing her story was appealing to me, especially the prospect of passing it on to my children and their children and so on. When envisioning how her story would unfold, I imagined an accounting of each of my brothers and sisters (10 total), their personalities, where they grew up, idiosyncrasies–in other words, the totality of her life that I saw. Instead, I was absorbed by the normal moments of my parents’ courtship, the planning of their wedding, their lives before children when they were young and carefree and content with the simplicity of their lives.

I’ve always felt that seniors were young hearts, minds, and souls in old bodies–even at my age, I have experienced the distorted vision of the young. This view aside, I was unprepared for the richness my Mom’s story brought to the version of their story I thought I knew. I am captivated by reading about their seemingly everyday routines, the friendships they made moving around as a military family, and how they figured out how to raise 10 kids (does anyone ever figure out that feat??!).

I’m only halfway through her writing, but I already know the gift we’ve been given. We don’t think about our lives as interesting, believing no one would be reading about how we grew into who we are. It’s such a fabrication of our own minds.

My dad grew up in Iowa, the grandson of Irish immigrants. He and his brothers and sisters were separated among family members after his mother died when he was six years old. He enlisted in the Navy when he was 17, serving in the Korean War. My mother grew up on Oahu, the daughter of an Army veteran and Scottish mother. Her Scottish grandparents immigrated to Hawaii to raise cattle on Parker Ranch. She lived through Pearl Harbor when she was 6 years old, figured out how to raise 10 children and have a career. Talk about a rich story line?! Even if our family is the only one to read this biography, it’s worth it.

Wouldn’t it be invaluable to hear your own parents, grandparents, and great grandparents’ stories in their own words, a personal legacy of your family? Imagine what you would include in your own story! Would you start at the beginning of your life (hopefully) or at the start of a significant part of your life? Either way, your story–the good and the bad–brings an understanding, a deeper hue of your life.

“I was the eighth of ten children, born in South Carolina during a tumultuous period in our country’s history to a Korean War veteran from Iowa and a Scottish hula dancer from Hawaii…”. It’s a start:)

Quote of the Day:

“Life really does begin at 40. Up until then, you’re just doing research.” Carl Jung